


Re:Generation

by Sybaen



Category: RWBY
Genre: Action/Adventure, F/M, Family, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, Slice of Life, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-11
Updated: 2020-07-19
Packaged: 2021-02-27 08:33:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 54,801
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22214104
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sybaen/pseuds/Sybaen
Summary: Blessed by the only semblance remaining that could possibly pull them from their Grimm future, a young Summer Rose-Arc splits apart the very fabric of space and time to return to the past. She has one mission, and one mission only. Keep history from repeating itself. Now applying at Beacon the same year as her mother and armed with knowledge of the future, how will she defy fate?
Relationships: Blake Belladonna/Yang Xiao Long
Comments: 7
Kudos: 42





	1. Eleventh Hour

Brilliant blue eyes widened in surprise as Summer's bedroom door was thrust open to slam against the wall. Her mother immediately swooped in and began grabbing up Summer's weapon, along with her combat outfit and some spare lien.

"They've found us. We need to move. _Now_ ," her mother announced fervently, finishing up her task to swing one piercing silver eye towards her daughter. The other was covered with a black eyepatch, a red rose emblazoned across its surface.

Summer's head whipped to the side as the first howls broke the night's tranquility, announcing the creatures of grimm. More followed, one after the other, far too many to count.

She nodded numbly and stood, feeling her mother's fingers entwine with her own to lead her towards their small shelter in the basement. Feet pounded down the steps as the two hurried to the thick steel double doors, and both let go of each other's hands long enough to grab one door each, straining to heave them open.

Summer trembled as her mother pushed her forward into the basement shelter, down the dark, dank steps and into the chilly interior below. The myriad roars and growls of the grimm hoard followed in their wake, muted only once the older woman had stepped down next to her and slammed the doors shut once more.

Darkness suffused their surroundings, leaving only the cacophony of grimm in its wake. Petrified and incapable of seeing anything with her human eyes, Summer waited for her mother to turn on the light, washing the basement in a pale white glow. Tremors shook the building as the sea of grimm began their assault, rocking their shelter to its very foundation and causing the long light filaments to flicker while dust drifted down from the ceiling.

"Come on, Summer. No time for standing around," her mother ushered her the rest of the way down the stairs, handing her combat uniform over to her as she did, "Change, quickly. We haven't got much time."

Summer couldn't get her vocal cords working, nor breath deeply enough to even try. She accepted the clothes from her mother and changed on the spot. Within a minute, long, silky black hair swayed over the back of the form-fitting blue top and black leather jacket, neither of which extended down past the bottom of her ribcage. Her black leather pants hugged tightly to her hips and legs, covered near the bottom with her combat boots and the dust pouch on her hip. On the breast of her jacket, her symbol of an intricate clock stitched in blue thread.

"Ready?" her mother held up Summer's weapons, a one handed black straight sword with a blue tint along its edge, and a high powered energy pistol, courtesy of a few left over Atlesian scientists that her mother had saved two years prior.

Summer's hands shook as she accepted them. She reached above her head to attach the sword, gravity dust within the hilt reacting instantly to proximity with similar dust that lined the back of her jacket. The pistol attached to her hip in the same fashion, both ready to be used at a moment's notice.

Her mother nodded in determination and headed over to the desk, spinning back around with a small case in her hands, "You remember the dosage you should take, right?"

"Th-three vials once I arrive. One per day until I've recovered," Summer replied feebly, accepting the case and holding it gingerly in one hand. Seven vials lay inside, the most they could scavenge from the ruins of Vale to the east.

"And you remember all your instructions? The name you should use? Everything you must do? Who you need to go to and when?" her one good eye pierced into Summer's, who could only nod timidly.

Her mother relaxed, breathing out slowly and moving to place a hand on her shoulder, "I know this is going to be difficult. It's a lot of pressure to put on a seventeen year old," she smirked, "Trust me, I know the feeling. But I _believe_ in you, Summer. We've trained you for years, and all for this moment…" her mother's eyes grew somber, and she pulled Summer forward to wrap her in a hug, " _I love you._ "

Tears poured down Summer's face as she hugged her mother fiercely. If all went well, then it wouldn't be the last time they hugged… but it would be the last time that Summer would ever be able to call her ' _Mom_ ', "I love you, too!"

An enormous impact shook the home once more, the cacophony of grimm noises reaching its peak as they forced their way inside. Thick, meaty paws slammed against the door into the basement, denting its surface after only a few blows.

"Go, go now. I won't be able to hold them back for long," her mother stated worriedly, moving in a rush over to the wall where both Summer's parents' weapons were kept. The large red scythe was pulled off, leaving the sword and shield in its wake.

Ruby Rose-Arc cocked back the bolt on Crescent Rose and gave her daughter one last sad smile before turning to face the stairway.

' _O-okay, I can do this… It's just one time. What am I so worried about?_ ' Likely the soul-splitting pain she was about to endure, but best to not think of that. Summer clutched the case of aura-enhancing vials to her chest and used the sleeve of her coat to try and wipe the tears from her eyes. They were swiftly replaced by more, her eyes locked on to the last family member she had left.

The door at the top of the stairs caved in slightly, a six inch gap widening to reveal the cold red eyes of the grimm beyond. The beringel raised its two fists to beat down against the thick steel doors once more, each blow widening the gap further.

"I'm not hearing any whooshing sound, Summer!" Ruby yelled, shifting into a low stance and bringing Crescent Rose to rest behind herself, ready at a moment's notice, "Go!"

Summer's chest heaved as she turned away, incapable of watching and still maintaining concentration on her semblance. She closed her eyes, salty tears streaming down her cheeks as she focused.

With the date firmly drilled into her for the past several years, Summer's semblance activated. The ground beneath her feet lit up in a blue glyph, a clock whose hand began to rotate backwards, ever increasing in speed as the world around her slowed to a crawl.

Summer peeked over her shoulder, and saw the grimm at the top of the stairs part to each side, making way and revealing the true enemy to her for the first time.

Salem.

Pale skin, white hair, and horrible black and red eyes stared down at the witch's last two remaining enemies with a snarl. Ever so slowly, Summer watched Salem's hand raise, watched the area around her mother begin to brighten with a white flash, saw a gnarled and pale finger point directly at her.

The instant before Summer's semblance took hold…

She watched the ray of dark magic pierce her mother's chest...

And saw her body turn to ash.

Summer didn't have time to scream before she was ripped backwards in time.


	2. Shattered

Darkness and overwhelming silence consumed the world as Summer screamed into the void, time itself tearing apart around her, the figurative clock rewinding the events of nearly three decades in an agonizing torrent of pain. Her eyes blinded, her heart stopped, her flesh itself felt as if it was stripped from the bone. For an eternity it lasted, and yet in one singular moment she found herself upon the floor in the same basement, standing shakily with the box of aura enhancers clutched to her chest in trembling hands.

Summer fell to her knees, stomach emptying its contents until nothing remained but dry heaves and the taste of acid. Her fingers scrambled at the box, trying futilely to work the clasp for several seconds before finally getting it open. The vials spilled to the ground, clinking against the concrete beneath her agonized form. 

With the spasms racking Summer’s body, it was a difficult task to pull out the small applicator that remained in the box. Her entire body shook, aura flashing a bright blue and already beginning to crack. She removed the applicator, sweaty hand clenched around the grip, and carefully inserted the first of three vials. 

Summer fell on to her side away from the mess she had made, then rolled on to her back to aim the needle down against her chest. Her other hand pulled up her top, revealing her unblemished skin. The pain of the syringe’s insertion was lost among the myriad of agonizing convulsions she already felt. Her finger squeezed the trigger, dispensing the entire dosage of blue liquid directly into the space near her heart. She replicated the process twice more, hands blearily sweeping the ground until coming into contact with the vials she required.

Summer’s arm collapsed to the side after the third dose had been administered, fingers loosening to let the applicator fall free. She drew her arms back in and hugged herself tightly, bringing her knees up into a fetal position while she waited for the pain to go away, for her suffering to end.

‘ _ Mom! _ ’ Summer bit her lip to keep herself from whimpering and buried her face in the sleeve of her coat, the last moments of her mother’s life playing out over and over in her head. In that instant, she would have done anything to be back in her mother’s arms, rewinding time endlessly so that their final embrace could last forever.

‘ _ Salem… _ ’ the name had been taught to her, an accurate description given, and yet it hadn’t been until seeing her for the first time that Summer understood exactly what it was they were fighting against. No matter what history that… creature… might have had, it was no longer  _ human _ . That much was certain. Summer began to feel anger in equal parts with her grief, knowing now what it should be directed at.

‘ _ I  _ **_will_ ** _ kill you, Witch! I don’t care what Jinn says! You’ll pay for what you did! _ ’

A constant ocean blue glow surrounded Summer, her aura working overtime in tandem with the enhancers to try and repair itself while rippling waves crashed and sparked across her figure. She could barely see the light through her eyelids, playing across the darkness and blurred by her tears. 

Summer’s semblance had been discovered in the heat of the moment, when only her mother, the wizard’s most recent incarnation Oswin, and she had remained. The three had been surrounded on all sides, with even more grimm closing in. Fortunately for them, Summer’s desire to not be there in that moment had been realized. She had been transported back nearly two days, the effects of the first jump nothing compared to what she was experiencing now. Her aura was greedily devoured as fuel for her semblance, and would take much longer than most to return without the enhancers she currently possessed. 

It had been a very confusing first time, trying to explain what she herself didn’t understand. Her own mother and a centuries old wizard had held weapons to her throat while Summer’s own past self accused her of being a fake. Even more awkward when they’d agreed to let her come along while avoiding getting caught, only to have the past version of herself vanish out of the blue two days later. Figuring out the specifics of her semblance had been a tough process.

The pain in Summer’s body dulled, but not the pain in her chest. Her hand shifted up slightly to clutch the silver cross pendant that functioned as the zipper of her jacket, a piece of the red cloak her mother used to wear when she was younger. It adorned Summer’s clothes now, the last keepsake she would ever have aside from memories. 

Summer did her best to roll away from the vomit on the floor, and fell unconscious for the next several hours.

* * *

The tiny repeated sounds of scratching against wood and whines of a small animal were the first thing that woke Summer, her groggy mind struggling to piece together for a moment why she was passed out on the floor. The memories came rushing back in a flood, and she had to resist the temptation to curl up in a ball and ignore the world around her. 

The animal whined once more, and Summer’s eye twitched open, a narrow slit that blearily searched for the source of the noise. The scratches themselves were coming from the door at the top of the stairs, the one they had long since replaced with the much heavier shelter doors in the future. Suddenly, the source of the noise clicked in Summer’s mind, and she weakly struggled to her feet, working first on hands and knees until she could reach the stair’s bannister to drag herself up the steps. 

Blood caked the corner of Summer’s mouth where she’d bitten her lip, her aura still far too weak to heal any physical wounds she had. Even still, she put her lips together and whistled quietly, in the way her mother had taught her so long ago. The scratching stopped, but the whining continued. Summer hefted herself up the stairs to the door and pressed an ear to the wood, listening for the sounds of anyone approaching. 

With the coast seeming clear, Summer cracked the door open. Immediately, a small black and white snout shoved its way into the opening, sniffing excitedly, “Hey, Zwei. You’re going to be good, right? No barks?”

Summer held her hand out to the small dog so that he could get a better idea for her scent, hoping that he would recognize some passing resemblance to her mother despite all the years worth of difference. Zwei’s excitement only increased, and with his small nails scratching against the floor while trying to force himself in, Summer let it swing open wide enough to accept him.

Zwei crashed through in a flurry of licks and tail wags, nose intermittently assaulting her with more sniffs. The hint of a smile twitched at the corner of Summer’s lips while she closed the door once more. She kept her voice down, but couldn’t help but return the small dog’s affection with some of her own. Tears fell fresh from her eyes, passing over those that already stained her cheeks.

“It’s good to see you too, boy. I missed you so much…” Summer hugged Zwei to her chest while the small corgi administered tongue-filled affection to the bottom of her chin, feeling her despair lighten the slightest bit. 

A door opened and closed in the room beyond, the sound of plastic bags being hefted into the kitchen, “Hey, Ruby! Get down here!”

Zwei’s tiny paws scrambled to break free, and Summer looked worriedly at the door. She turned to stare into the small dog’s eyes, knowing he was intelligent as far as animals go, but still a  _ dog _ , “You aren’t going to give me away, right? I promise we can play later once everyone’s asleep. I don’t have the strength to use my semblance again so soon. _ Be good _ , Zwei,” her eyes pleaded, “Be good…”

Summer opened the door once more to let Zwei dart out of her hands and back into the rest of the house, then let it close with a quiet click. Moments later, the ceiling above her was filled with the sound of pounding footsteps, boards creaking and dust falling free to sprinkle down on top of Summer’s head. 

“Coming, dad!”

‘ _ Mom… _ ’ Summer’s chest grew tight, and she tried to ignore the voices coming from the kitchen while weakly shuffling back downstairs, one step at a time. It was odd to think that she was now older than her own mother, having gone twenty-seven years into the past to arrive a week before Beacon would start. They had planned ahead to allow her time to recover, but even now, Summer wasn’t sure it was going to be enough. Her aura still shimmered whenever her body came into contact with anything. Her entire existence was pain, muted only by the aura enhancers she had taken. She didn’t know what she’d do without them.

Summer reached the bottom of the steps and sat on the final two, drawing her knees up and hugging herself against them while using the bannister to support herself. The proof of her arrival lay on the floor before her, vomit and all. Two of the vials had rolled into it and would need to be cleaned. Thankfully, the basement came complete with a small wash station, doubling as a place where the hunters of the house could maintain their weapons.

‘ _ Zwei probably smelled that from upstairs… I need to get rid of it before the smell gets any worse, otherwise the others might notice... _ ’ Summer thought, but couldn’t bring herself to do it at the moment. Her strength was faltering, and her spirit broken. No matter how many times she told herself that the future she had seen was never going to happen now, she inevitably ended up replaying the scene in her head once more in painstakingly accurate detail.

“ _ I believe in you, Summer... _ ” her mother’s words returned to the forefront, mocking the current state she was in. 

What would all of this have been for if she got caught only a few hours after arriving? How would she explain away breaking into their home? Sneaking into their basement? 

‘ _ I… I can’t… _ ’

“ _ I know this is going to be difficult…~ _ ”

‘ _ It is, mom. It  _ **_really_ ** _ is. Why couldn’t I have sent you back instead? You’re so much stronger than I am… _ ’

“ _ We’ve trained you for years, and all for this moment…~ _ ”

‘ _ What training could have prepared me for this? For losing you…? _ ’

How would the future change if she didn’t act now...?

“ _ I love you.~ _ ”

Summer groaned as she feebly forced herself to stand, ‘ _ Come on, Summer. It’s only you, now... Mom isn’t going to swoop in and save you anymore… she… she can’t… _ ’ her legs firmed, and she straightened to take a closer look around the room, ‘ _ You’re all you have left. _ ’

Summer spotted a mop and bucket resting near the sink, likely used for any excess grease that might spill on the floor. Despite its presence, she could still see blotches that stained the concrete already, ones that she recognized from her own future, many that were yet to come. She stumbled over to it, using the wall as added support, and turned the sink on so that only a trickle fell free. 

The shelf above the sink held a handful of rags, some clean and some already used. Summer grabbed one of the clean rags and used it to wipe her face off, trying to ignore the mess that came from it lest her stomach protest. Free of dried blood and other liquids, she ran her tongue over the cut in her lip, glad that the aura enhancers were working overtime to dull the pain in her body. She could feel the split, and wondered if her aura would recover in time to heal it fully or end up leaving a tiny scar.

Makeshift hygiene in order, Summer went about cleaning the floor. It was a slow process, her body requiring rest after only a small amount of exertion, but after half an hour the floor had been returned to its relatively spotless self. The leftover vials of aura enhancers were also cleaned and stored safely in their case with the applicator. 

Summer finished putting away the items she’d used and sat on the bottom steps once more, working a hand into the pouch on her hip and pulling free the crux of her little trip back in time. It was a silver banded watch with a black face, the current time displayed in neon blue lettering. Summer placed it on her left wrist and worked the clasp, tightening it to a near uncomfortable level. 

There were many plans for the future that needed to be put into motion, but for now, she needed to focus on recovering enough to sneak out of the two story cabin that would eventually be her home. The spare lien her mother had given her would last until Beacon began, enough to afford a room at the inn and some food. Past that, she would need to depend on others to cover her expenses. Talking the wizard into it would be difficult, Oswin had been certain of that much, but with her knowledge Summer was sure she could make it work. 

Summer could feel the effects of the aura enhancers beginning to wear off. With an audible sigh, she went through the process of injecting herself once more before stowing the applicator back away and retreating beneath the stairs. While there, she curled into a sitting position in the corner and laid her head against the arm draped over her knees. 

Sleep came slowly, and when it did, it was filled with nightmares from this world’s future. Nightmares from her own past. 

* * *

_ Summer choked back a yawn, heart suddenly pounding in her chest as she heard the door open above her. Footsteps thumped down the steps, sending small showers of dust sprinkling down in their wake. She covered her head and averted her gaze to the side, hoping that none of it would get in her eyes while silently panicking, her worst fears realized.  _

_ ‘Mom said they barely ever came down here!’ Summer shrunk into a ball, arms wrapped around her legs that were pulled up to her chest to hopefully block off the part of her body that would be most visible, the rest covered in mostly black clothing aside from her stomach and face.  _

_ Her eyes caught on to the figure making its descent. Instead of pants or boots like she was expecting, her eyes were met with pale white feet, and a long flowing black cloak that obscured everything past them. The symbol of an intricate and crimson red eye adorned her back. Summer’s heart died in her chest, realizing who the figure was. _

_ ‘Salem…’ _

_ Summer couldn’t bring herself to move as the Queen of the Grimm finished her descent. Black and red eyes swept across the small basement, finally settling on the back of the stairs. Those piercing red eyes locked with Summer’s blue, causing her to draw herself into an ever tighter ball as she wished to be away, anywhere but in this creature’s presence.  _

_ Salem rounded the stairs slowly, confidently, a predator that knew its prey had nowhere to flee. Her cloak dragged across the ground, leaving behind a trail of fresh blood in its wake. Summer shivered in place, shoulders shaking and tears coming fresh to her eyes as Salem was fully revealed once more. _

_ ‘Whose blood is that?’ Summer was afraid to answer her own question.  _

_ “You thought you could get away from me? You poor, pitiful child. None can escape the destiny that I am rightfully owed…” Salem raised a gnarled hand, bony finger pointing directly at the chest of the young girl in front of her, voice becoming mocking, “Not even by fleeing through time itself~” _

_ A black beam of dark magic pierced Summer’s chest, and pain erupted through her body, spreading outward in a flash. _

The pain brought Summer gasping back to consciousness in a cold sweat, her eyes flying open, searching the dark for the source of her terror.

After a few seconds, the realization that it had all been a dream settled in, and Summer panted heavily. Her body ached and hunger clawed at her stomach, a familiar feeling when food was scarce. She had fallen on her side while sleeping in the basement, face resting against the cold stone floor and body positioned awkwardly to remain hidden in the corner beneath the stairs.

She sat up and used a sleeve to wipe her face off, realizing in a few moments that tears stained her cheeks along with the sweat on her forehead. Memories of the nightmare flashed in her eyes, and she exhaled raggedly while trying to dispel the visions of Salem that stained her mind. 

‘ _ I’m not going to let it happen like that _ ,’ Summer trembled, shakily bringing herself to her feet and checking her watch. It was nearly two in the morning. 

After taking a moment to right herself, Summer could feel that some of her strength had returned. While still sore, she could now stand unaided. The pain she had been feeling in her dream came back to the forefront, her hand scrambling for the applicator and another vial as she realized  _ why _ her body felt so terrible. 

Summer could more distinctly feel the large needle piercing her chest this time, placed close to the other four puncture marks that already decorated her otherwise smooth chest. She winced at the pain, but immediately felt the aura enhancer’s soothing effects beginning to take hold after injecting the cool blue liquid. Blood trailed out to dribble down her chest as she pulled the injector back out, beginning to run down lightly tanned skin before she let her top fall back into place. The blood soaked into it instead, matched by the dried blood already caking it’s inside edge.

Summer stowed away the applicator and stretched, feeling her limbs protest sharply at the abuse. She wasn’t ready to leave yet. She would struggle far too much on the way to Patch and draw attention to herself. Her fingers drifted down to play lightly across her stomach, though, feeling it rumble with a dull ache that demanded to be filled.

With careful attention paid to where she was stepping, Summer climbed the stairs once more and placed her ear against the wooden door at the top. She waited there for several minutes, wanting to be sure that the other house’s occupants were all asleep. No sounds met her ear. No footsteps, nor creaking floorboards or squeaking beds. 

Summer turned the knob quietly and pulled the door open. She froze as something stirred in front of the door, then sighed when Zwei’s snout returned to the open crack, snuffling excitedly.

“Were you sleeping in front of the door?” Summer whispered with a small smile, letting the door open further and stepping up next to Zwei in the hallway. The small corgi circled her feet, sniffing and hopping up to place his front paws against her legs several times. 

Summer petted him, waiting for him to calm down and keeping her eyes and ears open for any other changes in the house around her. As far as she could tell, she was in the clear. With painstaking care, Summer avoided all of the boards from her own time that she knew were prone to creaking. The last thing she wanted was her grandfather coming downstairs to investigate a noise and finding an unknown girl in his house. 

‘ _ Maybe I could get away with saying I’m a friend of Auntie Yang’s staying the night… _ ’ Summer thought idly, trying to distract herself from the anxiousness in her chest, ‘ _ Wasn’t he a teacher at Signal, though? He wouldn’t recognize me as a student, either… _ ’ 

Summer crossed the hall into the open area that separated the living room from the kitchen, eyes sweeping across in surprise at all the changes that the room had yet to undergo. The windows were large and unobstructed, glass alone providing a barrier to the outside world. Their doors were wooden like the one to the basement, a terrible defense if the grimm happened to attack. 

Summer had to breathe out slowly, trying to calm herself down as panic rose in her chest, ‘ _ It’s fine, it’s fine. The grimm aren’t as strong or vicious yet. Mom always said the ones I fought were way tougher than when she was a kid. Supposedly there’s less as well… _ ’ she would believe it when she saw it. Beowolves  _ without _ thick bone plates covering their bodies? Beringels that were too  _ small _ to choke the life out of a King Taijitu? No swarms of Elder Nevermores descending from the sky in droves to tear apart anything stupid enough to travel out in the open? 

Nonsense.

Her mother had been insistent, though, and Summer seriously doubted that the ever-loving Ruby Rose-Arc would lead her astray. 

That was what she focused on as she made her way into the kitchen, turning her back on the windows and stepping on to the tiled floor. She flicked the light on, wincing at the sudden brightness assaulting her eyes. Zwei brushed past her legs before darting across the room to his bowl, loudly crunching down food. It was a sound that the house’s occupants would be used to, though, and would serve to mask her own activities.

“Good boy, Zwei,” Summer whispered dotingly, “You eat as much as you want, okay?”

Zwei’s only response was to look over his shoulder for a moment before lapping at the contents of his water bowl, splashing some on to the tiled floor beneath.

Summer nodded her silent thanks and approached the refrigerator. It opened with a light pop, the rubber suctioning tightly to its surface. The bulb inside lit, revealing what lay within while the large appliance hummed to life. Summer stared aghast at the amount of food inside, marveling at the way the shelves were packed tight with various items, all in brightly lit packaging.

“Holy Brothers…” Summer gasped, staring at the bounty before her. She had spent her entire life scavenging for food, and only occasionally running across the wayward wildlife that didn’t see her first. Her hands itched, wanting to grab as much as she could and retreat to the basement to hide while she enjoyed her findings.

The sudden sound of the door opening from the main entryway caused her to freeze in place, eyes darting for a place to hide while booted steps approached the kitchen. With a broom cupboard nearby, Summer let the refrigerator door swing shut on its own and darted into the small space, trying her best not to disturb any of the items that lay within and give herself away.

Summer held her breath, listening carefully to the figure that walked into the room she had just vacated. It sounded masculine, judging by the weight of the steps, ‘ _ Unless Auntie Yang was a chunkier girl than she ever admitted. _ ’ 

Summer smiled, relying on the joke to help calm her pounding heart. Any moment now, the man would hear its traitorous beat and rip the cupboard door open. 

“Tai really needs to remember not to leave the lights on,” a man stated with a grumble, the sound of his voice fluctuating as he glanced around the room, “I could have sworn I saw…” there was a pause while the man stopped completely, remaining silent.

“...Must have been my imagination. There’s nobody else here that shouldn’t be, eh Zwei? You’d be making quite the ruckus if there was.”

The small corgi barked agreement and fled the room. Summer could hear his small feet quickly running up the stairs to those above. The man sighed, a chair scraping back against the wooden floor as he sat heavily at the kitchen table. 

After a few minutes, another set of heavy footsteps descended the stairs, followed by a loud yawn and a more familiar voice, “Oh, it’s just you, Qrow. I thought I heard the door open. What kept you out so late?”

“Grimm,” Qrow grumbled simply, “They’ve been showing a lot more activity around the house today. Anything happen with the girls?”

“Not that I know of,” Tai replied easily, “Yang just seems excited for Beacon, and Ruby is Ruby. Maybe she’s sad that her sister won’t be around? I don’t think that would be enough to draw in that many, though.”

“No, someone is definitely feeling a lot of negative emotions lately. We might want to sit them both down to double check. My money is on Ruby, but we’ve  _ both _ been on the receiving end of some of Yang’s more wild mood swings.”

“I’ll keep that in mind. How’s the search for Amber’s attacker going? Any leads?”

Qrow sighed heavily, “Nothing. No one matching the descriptions I gave, no more attacks other than a string of dust shop robberies. The White Fang is being more docile than usual and Roman Torchwick is still at large. It’s all a mess…”

“Hey, I’m sure everything will turn out alright. You’re Qrow Branwen, a member of team  _ Stark _ for crying out loud,” his tone became more playful, “The  _ weakest _ member for sure, but still a member.”

“Oh, ha ha,” Qrow replied bitterly, “Says the guy that doesn’t even fight anymore.”

“I have a family to take care of, Qrow. I can’t risk leaving my daughters alone… not in this world.”

“I know, Tai…” Qrow yawned loudly, muffled part way through by what Summer assumed was his hand, “I need to report back to Oz. Keep an eye out for any more grimm. This place is hardly impenetrable.”

The chair scraped once more, and Tai called out softly as the footsteps receded back towards the door, “Good luck, Qrow.”

“Heh, who needs  _ luck _ ?”

The door closed behind him, leaving Tai and Summer as the sole remaining occupants. Zwei hurried to the kitchen in a flurry of tiny pattering steps and barked loudly.

“Alright, alright. I’m coming back to bed. We spoil you, ya know that?” Tai grumbled before shutting off the kitchen light. Summer heard the click and saw the light at the edges of the cupboard disappear, leaving her in total darkness. 

She breathed out a sigh of relief once Tai’s footsteps retreated back upstairs, a door opening and closing to signal his return to his room. Summer slipped back out of the cupboard and opened the refrigerator quickly, set on grabbing only a few things and getting back to her basement before anyone else decided on having a midnight stroll. 

With bread, cheese, mayonnaise, and some type of thinly cut meat in hand, Summer hurried back to the basement, closing the door lightly behind herself. She returned to her corner and sat in the dark, doing her best to carefully apply the mayonnaise and slice the cheese with her sword without making too much of a mess, then brought it to her mouth. 

‘ _ Delicious… _ ’ Summer paused in awe with her first bite, amazed by how sweet and tender the simple confection managed to be. She’d never eaten something so  _ good _ , and quickly devoured the entire sandwich, stopping only to lick her fingers clean before making another. 

Thirty minutes later and humming happily with a full stomach and what remained of her bounty tucked in the corner, Summer got up to stretch, working out the kinks in her body. Her aura was still weak, only managing to remain because of the enhancers she’d been injecting herself with. 

‘ _ I should leave later today. I don’t want to bring any more grimm down on their doorstep, _ ’ Summer thought glumly, not looking forward to the two mile-long trek to Patch. If anything, she may as well take the ferry across to Vale and find a room there. As important as her mission was, she couldn’t mask her own excitement at seeing the city when it was still  _ whole _ .

Summer sighed, ‘ _ I can’t yet, though. I need to introduce myself to Qrow first and get into Beacon, preferably late. Being stuck on a team will only get in the way of my nightly activities, and I can’t risk getting in the way of how teams are assigned at initiation. There’s way too much of a risk there. _ ’

The one thing that her mother had been most worried about was if time changed drastically enough that Summer wasn’t born. After talking it out, though, they figured that if she was able to pop back in time at all, that either meant that nothing she did would change that particular eventuality, or that she would be outside the bounds of time, a new entity that simply  _ existed, _ starting from the moment she arrived. 

Summer wasn’t sure which she preferred. If the first was true, then that might mean that  _ nothing _ she did would change fate. On the other hand, being in a world where she was destined to never be born also felt strange, like it meant she wasn’t supposed to be there at all. 

‘ _ As if I am anyway… _ ’ 

Still, it was the idea that was so off putting. The thought of her father ending up with another woman instead of her mother after all the stories she’d shared, knowing none of those would ever come true… Summer’s chest tightened at the thought. She wanted her mother to be happy, if not in her previous life, then in this one. Summer was damn sure going to make that happen.

‘ _ But not at the expense of Pyrrha Nikos… _ ’ Summer had seen far too much death and destruction in her life to stand by and watch when she could do something about it, was perhaps the  _ only _ one that could do something about it.

Despite the overwhelming responsibilities resting on her shoulders, Summer couldn’t help but remain hopeful. She would  _ finally _ get to meet her father for the first time, along with her Aunt Blake, her mother’s partner Weiss, Ren, Nora... The list went on and on. Her mother had shared many a story about  _ all _ of them, making Summer wish she could speed up time as well, if only to meet them sooner.

Summer finished stretching and returned to her corner, taking care to clean the excess cheese from the edge of her blade. Maintenance was important, even more so during an apocalypse when you didn’t know when you’d get another chance to fix anything. If you could clean your weapon in the moment, then you did it  _ in _ the moment. 

A few minutes later and satisfied with a job well done, Summer relaxed once more, allowing herself to drift off into a fretful day dream. Every now and then she checked the time, interest piqued upon hearing movement above and keeping track of whenever it was exceptionally quiet. ‘ _ Never know when I might have to pop back to avoid being found… _ ’ It wouldn’t be possible while she was weakened like this, but it was better to be prepared instead of allowing herself to get caught off guard.

She had another couple sandwiches for lunch, still thoroughly enjoying what she soon found out to be honeyed ham. The concept alone amazed her, and its execution left her mouth watering and begging for more, ‘ _ It’s worth saving the world for the food alone! _ ’ If this was the type of thing she could expect by grabbing random items off a shelf, then what else did the world have to offer?

The food managed to do her a world of good. By the time dinner rolled around, her energy had returned, if not her aura. Summer was ready to leave, and judging by how silent the house had been for the last half hour, the occupants had left or were busy with other things upstairs. It was the best opening she could hope for given the circumstances, aside from leaving under the cover of night.

Summer gathered up her things, reattaching her weapons with practiced ease and holding the aura enhancer’s carrying case in one hand. She looked at what was left of the food with a frown, wondering what would be the best way to rid herself of the evidence. She eventually decided to just bring what was left with her, taking one of the longer towels to fashion a hobo’s bag of sorts and attaching it to the grip on her sword so that it would hang freely on her back. 

That small dilemma out of the way, she headed up the stairs and placed an ear to the wooden door once more, listening intently for any signs of movement. Summer didn’t recall anyone going to the living room, and the last footsteps she’d heard had definitely been out the front of the house. With a half-hearted nod to herself, she opened the door. 

Summer stepped out into the hallway carefully, long black hair swishing back and forth across her back as her head darted either way, checking for anyone nearby. It was towards the back of the house that she headed next, out the rear door and into the brightly lit spring day.

‘ _ It’s… _ ’ Summer stared at the world outside the cabin, eyes mesmerized by the amount of color there was in the world. Green trees and grass, a beautiful blue sky without a cloud in sight… She forced her feet to move and walked in a line out the back of the house, intent on circling back through the forest to get to the road instead of heading out along the driveway. That would be a good way to get caught unexpectedly.

The pit that opened in Summer’s chest was filled in equal parts by the sheer elegance of the world around her. She couldn’t help but feel crestfallen to know that she’d missed out on so much beauty. She’d seen a patch of blue sky only once in her life before then, a small glimmering opening in the blackened clouds that was swiftly obstructed by the roiling mass. Salem had blanketed the world in a constant storm, long since having stolen the power of every maiden for herself. With the lack of the sun’s constant rays, almost all vegetation had died soon enough.

Summer’s eyes remained on a swivel, neck turning every which way as her wide eyes took in everything the past had to offer. Flowers blossomed in vibrant colors and trees swayed in the breeze, their leaves crackling together in what almost sounded like a light rain. Birds chirped or called out to each other, while small forest animals scurried from branch to branch. 

‘ _ It’s so loud _ ,’ Summer realized in surprise. In her time, the most you would hear would be the crunch of your own feet against the forest floor, or the scraping of thousands of dead branches in a chilling breeze. The quiet was one of the few boons that remained for those that lived outside Salem’s sanctioned cities. It was easier to hear the grimm that crept through the darkness.

Summer finally managed to wind her way back to the main road and turned around, following it up in the direction that she knew would eventually lead to Vale. The road itself was long and rough, unchanged from her own time as it mostly consisted of dirt and fine pebbles. The occasional pothole marred its surface, left up to those that lived nearby to take care of, if they even cared. 

It was along that road that Summer eventually spotted a myriad of colored figures in the distance. Her heart stopped, instantly recognizing her aunt’s long golden hair, and the black with red highlights next to her that belonged to her mother. They were flanked by Tai and Qrow, the two younger hunters in training busy enjoying ice cream cones on their way back while the older two conversed behind them.

Summer dipped off the road, uncertain of whether or not she’d been spotted yet. While she wasn’t as colorful as the other group, the black and blue of her outfit didn’t exactly match the browns and greens of the forest, either. She stood behind a tree and peeked out from behind its bark to watch them from a distance. Luckily, she hadn’t yet passed the trail that would lead them up to their cabin, and was safe from an awkward meeting in the middle of the road.

The group closed the distance, and though Summer’s gut warned her that she should hide herself completely until they were gone, her heart demanded otherwise. She stared at the younger version of her mother and her aunt, feeling her eyes beginning to brim with tears but unable to wipe them away, lest she draw attention to herself. They were exactly as they’d been in their pictures at home, both so young and full of life. It was a harsh contrast to the stern but loving figure that her mother had become.

They eventually arrived at the break in the road and split off away from Summer, headed through the densely packed trees and back to their cabin. Only once there was no visible signs left did Summer poke back out from her hiding place and set off once more, her footsteps surprisingly lighter than she’d expected.

‘ _ That’s who I’m going to spend my time at Beacon with… _ ’

It wasn’t until many minutes later that Summer noticed the small black crow following behind her, fluttering from tree branch to tree branch. She was careful not to show any signs of surprise or distress, having mentally prepared for the possibility of being noticed earlier. Qrow keeping an eye on her in bird form was only confirmation that she’d been spotted.

‘ _ What should I do…? _ ’ It was too early to introduce herself. If she followed through with her plan early, then Qrow might suggest she apply at Beacon before initiation, even go so far as to invite her back to their home. That would definitely be far too risky. 

Instead, Summer took a gamble and decided to play the frustrated child.

She slowed down and leaned up against a tree, eyes downcast towards the grass beneath her feet, idly kicking away pebbles that rested nearby while her fingers played with the angled silver cross that she used as her jacket zipper, “Why is this so  _ hard _ ?” she muttered, loud enough to be heard by the black bird resting in the branches above her, “All I had to say was ‘Hey, Qrow! I’m your daughter!’, but nooooo. I have to freeze up every time I see him…” 

There was a loud squawk from the crow above her, its wings flapping frantically to keep itself perched on the branch. Summer ignored it and sighed in exasperation, “I’ll try again tomorrow. Hopefully he’ll be home this time when I get there…”

‘ _ Of course, I won’t be visiting quite yet, but maybe that’ll keep him home instead of out and about where he might spot me again… In the meantime, I’ll lock myself away at the inn and hide until the time’s right. I hope I have enough spare lien for that ‘room service’ thing that mom mentioned. _ ’

The bird took off, wings beating hard against the air to propel itself up the dirt road towards the cabin and out of sight. Summer grimaced, hoping he wasn’t about to blab to Tai and his nieces. She checked her watch, happy to see that there were no messages on it. If she’d messed up too badly here, then her future self would have popped back in time to recommend a better plan of action. 

Her watch functioned as a scroll of sorts, though it was only capable of sending messages to itself over a closed network. Using it allowed her to pass messages back and forth between whatever two iterations of herself existed at any given point in time. There could never be more than two, allowing her to keep track of things much more easily than in some of the time travel book she’d read.

‘ _ If there’s no messages… _ ’

Summer took that as a good sign and continued on her way up the road, putting a bit more urgency in her pace. She hardly wanted Qrow to come running back down the road either, though he’d never sounded like the type in her mother’s stories. A rascal and a fun uncle he may have been, but a family man he was not. 

‘ _ Just nice enough to request Oz let me in to Beacon late despite missing initiation, just distant enough to leave me to my own devices and not hover over my shoulder… literally. _ ’

Summer didn’t like the ruse they had decided to use, but regardless of whether or not she was actually his daughter, they  _ were _ still family, if not by blood. Her mother had  _ always _ called him Uncle Qrow, and he had never disputed the title, only embraced it. 

‘ _ Sorry Uncle Qrow, but I don’t think you’d mind helping out your grand niece if you knew the truth, right? _ ’

Summer hoped not, anyway. 

She could see the distant silhouette of Patch appearing through the trees, and firmly set her shoulders. Now was the time to truly embrace her new persona, for as long as it was necessary, or for as long as she could keep up the act.

‘Eve Branwen’ entered the small town in search of a room. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ‘Eve’ is a direct reference to time, and one of my favorite names for female characters. Though it isn’t exactly a color, I’m choosing to think of it as being synonymous with ‘the night before’ to go along with her mostly black color scheme. Don’t worry about the name being foreshadowing for any potential romance with Adam. I’d never do that. There is a particular boy that dear Summer will end up interested in, but you’ll have to read to find that one out~
> 
> Thanks for reading,
> 
> \- Sybaen


	3. Face to Face

_Summer panted heavily, legs quaking and arms trembling with exhaustion as she ran through the forests surrounding Sanctuary. Behind her, six monstrous beowolves crashed through the trees, snarling and howling while in pursuit of their quarry. They had no care for the foliage separating them, and barrelled through trees with barely a hint of slowing._

_A low electrical whine peaked on Summer's hip, announcing the completion of a new charge being reloaded. She dared not slow to aim, but whipped the energy pistol from her hip to turn and fire, catching one of the beowolves in the chest. Through white bone plate and hard muscle, a hole appeared. The beowolf whimpered as it fell, rolling heavily across the ground, yet five still remained, and they howled in outrage that she was not yet in their clutches._

_The watch on Summer's wrist pinged, alerting her to a message from her future self. 'Thirty seconds til target'. She increased her pace, feeling her energy threatening to give out but knowing that hope was on the horizon. If she had sent a message, then she had survived. With a final burst of speed, Summer returned the energy pistol to her hip and sprinted, weaving between trees in the densely packed forest and ignoring the hungry jaws trailing behind._

_The trees gave way to a large copse, a small fire burning in its center. Summer broke free of the treeline and sprinted towards the large figure that stood near it, her throat struggling to cry out, "Help, please!"_

_A much smaller figure stepped in front of the larger, hefting a weapon to defend her charge. A large hand came down, grasping her shoulder and pushing her gently to the side. The beowolves erupted from the treeline behind Summer, jaws slavering with anticipation._

" _HALT!" the large man's voice boomed out across the night, forcing the beowolves to grind to a stop behind while Summer continued forward. She collapsed to her hands and knees a few paces from the man, feeling her energy finally giving way to exhaustion._

_Large footsteps brought the man closer, and a gentle hand lowered to rest on her back, "Are you alright? What were you doing all the way out here?"_

_Summer struggled to speak, "...Wanted... to join… Sanctuary… please… can you…?"_

" _A child of those that still rebel? Where are your parents?"_

" _...Dead," Summer quavered, having practiced the lie many times over in advance._

_The man sighed, looking up at the beowolves for a moment. To Summer, it was a few seconds filled with terror, "Leave us, Grimm. Your presence is no longer required."_

_The Grimm whimpered in dismay, urged by their natural instincts to attack the small petrified human. Their muscles tensed, and they continued to inch forward with their eyes on the prize. The large man stood even taller, his hand leaving Summer's back to rise to his full impressive height. His hands reached up to undo the clasp on his cloak, revealing thick corded muscles on bare arms when the cloth fell away._

" _YOU SHALL DO AS I SAY. LEAVE._ _ **NOW**_ _."_

_With one final growl of regret, the beowolves turned and scampered off into the trees, leaving the child alone with her new guardian and his much smaller companion._

_After a few moments of silence, the other girl spoke up, voice raspy and amused, "You always were a sucker for a pretty face, Hazel."_

* * *

Summer woke up from her dream, sighing into her pillow and hiding her face from the light that filtered through the window's blinds. Memories of the dream mixed with memories of her past, true recollection rising to the forefront. She struggled to sit on the edge of her bed and looked around the room she had rented, wincing at the amount of food boxes and wrappers that decorated the floor.

' _I'd better slow down or I'll get too fat to save the world,_ ' she chastised herself, hopping to her feet and picking her way across the floor to the bathroom. Summer stepped in front of the mirror and grabbed a small hand towel, wetting it in the sink to clean off her face. She paused as she looked at herself in the mirror, her fingers rising up to trail across the small tattoo on her neck, usually hidden by the collar of her top.

No amount of going back in time would allow her to rid herself of it now. The Mark of Hazel. A tattoo made from Grimm's blood, a sign to all Grimm that she was to be left alone; a charge of Sanctuary that he had brought into the fold. The deception had been necessary in order to get close and learn what she could about their enemies... and how they were managing to find Ozma's new incarnations so easily.

Summer dropped her hand away to finish freshening up, ' _I really should test it out now that I'm feeling better._ ' The tattoo's power had been revoked in her future, once they found out she was a traitor in their midst. But would it work now, in the past? Hazel may not have demanded for Salem to create the mark yet, but did its _magic_ remain?

' _Only one way to find out_ ,' Summer mused. She wringed out the hand towel before setting it atop the faucet to dry off and walked back into the bedroom. Pizza boxes, burger wrappers and a host of candy wrappers lay littered across the carpet. The small trash can was filled past the brim, a product of her insatiable desire to try out everything, and her refusal for the maid to enter her room.

She hadn't wanted word getting out to Qrow about where she was hiding. Not yet, anyway. Initiation was today, though, so Summer figured now was as good a time as any to finally stretch her legs and put her plans in motion. As long as she was convincing enough, then she would hopefully be able to execute the plan without too many complications.

And so far, it appeared that her existence hadn't affected the timeline too drastically. The news of Roman Torchwick's attempted robbery, and how he was stopped by a young huntress in training had run the day before. Summer's mother had definitely gotten into Beacon as she was supposed to, one of the main points that had been the most worrisome in her return. Her mother's silver eyes were far too valuable of an asset to leave at the wayside in favor of Summer joining Beacon in her stead.

Summer changed into her combat outfit and returned her weapons to their rightful places. Their weight helped to relieve some of her stress, a welcome addition that soothed the soul in knowing she could defend herself from any threats that may come her way. With a careful peak out the door, Summer slipped out into the brightly lit streets of Patch.

It was still fairly early in the morning, yet despite that the citizens of the town were up and about. Stores were opening, and customers were moving along the street to finish up their morning shopping. The town was little more than a collection of small buildings, the largest of which being the huntsman academy. Summer knew them all well, and exited the town with only a few brief glances leveled in her direction.

The young huntress walked across open ground to reach the edge of the treeline a hundred yards away, quickly disappearing into the foliage in search of a Grimm or two. According to her mother, the island was known for its relative safety, not from a complete lack of Grimm, but because of the many retired hunters that made up the town's populace. None were on the same level as Qrow aside from Tai, but they could handle the average beowolf without much of a fuss.

Summer continued through the trees, giving in to her melancholy and allowing the years of despair to weigh on her shoulders. Like a moth to flame, she hoped for the Grimm to be drawn in.

She couldn't help but marvel at the world around her, though. The sun glistened off fresh dew in the grass, the leaves on the trees dripped leftover rainwater, and the wind blew in a mere gentle breeze. Summer's clothes did not ruffle in the wind, being either too tight or made of too thick a material. It was a necessity of the future, brought on by the constant inclement weather that fell from the blackened skies.

A deep growl brought Summer's pistol off her hip in an instant, it's hefty weight resting in small hands. She aimed it in the direction where she'd heard the growl coming from, a deep and guttural noise that threatened death. Summer frowned in confusion… Something about the noise had sounded… wrong.

The trees in front of Summer swayed to the side, nudged by the lumbering form of an Ursa that pushed its way into the clearing. The pistol in Summer's hand shook as she looked at it. The Grimm was several times her size, its head, shoulders and forearms covered in thick bony plates. Its eyes glared at her with the promise of bloodshed.

Summer's shaking hand extended into her shoulders, then into her chest and legs. Finally, she arched her head back and laughed loudly, letting her pistol fall back to the side while the Ursa paused in confusion.

"You're _adorable_ ," Summer mocked, wiping a tear from her eye. The Ursa was a fifth the size of those in the future, barely larger than one of the beowolves that she had fought in her training, and much less decorated with the bone plates that usually enshrouded their form.

' _May as well test it out now with a weak one_ ,' Summer chuckled to herself and raised a hand to her neck. The cloth of her top was then pulled down, revealing the Mark that blemished her flesh. She raised her voice, making sure to speak in a commanding and confident tone as Hazel had taught her so far into the future.

"SIT."

The Ursa was too busy beginning its charge to even listen.

Summer dodged to the side in a roll, narrowly avoiding the clawed paw that swung past her. She came back up to her feet and let her hand fall away from the tattoo, "Looks like _that_ didn't work." Summer pulled the pistol from her hip, aiming it easily at the Ursa's head as it turned to face her once more.

"Maybe you just weren't taught that command? How about… play dead?" The energy bolt blasted through the back of its skull and trailed into the air, leaving behind a momentary flash of blue in her vision. The pistol in her hand made a noise like pressurized gas being vented, then pivoted the mechanism to its secondary chamber. While her second of two rounds waited to be fired, the emptied chamber used the dust stored within to recharge another shot. After five seconds had passed, it gave off a brief whine, letting Summer know that the second shot was ready to be used again.

' _Would have been nice if that worked_ ,' Summer sighed, looking at the mess of black blood and ash that remained of the Ursa, it's body breaking apart to drift into the sky. Sneaking in and out of Beacon would have certainly been easier if she could control the Grimm. The only trails to the top of the plateau were on the side with the Emerald Forest, and had been Summer and her mother's main route to scavenge what they could from the school.

Disappointed with the results of her test, Summer made her way back to the town, allowing herself to return to a more calm demeanor along the way. There would be no point in tempting more Grimm to attack her. Even without her small boon, the Grimm of the past appeared to be child's play. Summer had never seen an Ursa that small, not in all her years in the future.

Soon enough, Summer found herself back among the dirt and stone streets of Patch. The streets were dotted with many more people than what she was used to, at least from her experience. Summer had spent so long alone with her mother that more than a handful of people sharing a street felt crowded, unnatural. She had often dreamt of meeting so many new people once upon a time. The reality of it was that people made her anxious. Simply buying her room had been nerve-wracking, paranoid that the attendant would somehow put two and two together to realize she didn't belong there.

A group of kids in matching outfits brushed past Summer on their way to Signal Academy, their first day of school starting on the same day as Beacon's. She paused to watch them on their way to school, marveling at their carefree attitudes. They laughed happily, carrying weapons on their backs or in hands that looked like they'd seen very little use, if any at all.

' _I wonder how many of them were still alive in my time…_ '

Summer firmed her shoulders and followed after, intent on beginning the tasks that she needed to in order to join Beacon, albeit late. According to her mother, Qrow had been an on and off again teacher, usually only stopping by for a couple days each week in order to teach, and only if he was still in the region to begin with. His missions for Ozpin sent him far and wide, but for the meantime he should still be around Vale, searching for Amber's attacker.

Signal Academy was a relatively large building, compared to the rest in Patch. It stood three stories high, and was a block in length all by itself. Windows lined the wall that faced out on to the street, and its large metal doors remained open as students poured in. Summer joined the throng and headed up a nearby set of stairs, ignoring the curious glances of nearby children.

The second floor was mostly deserted, being the place where most of the classes were located. The students were still down below, putting weapons away in lockers and pulling out books instead. There were fifteen minutes to spare before classes truly began. Summer walked down the hall until she'd found her way to class 2C, a small plaque on the door reading 'Home Economics'.

Summer hesitated, feeling her heart beginning to pound in her chest while her hand wavered in front of the door, knuckles poised to knock against it. ' _I'm finally going to meet grandpa, face to face…_ ' She inhaled deeply, taking one long drawn in breath, then exhaled sharply and rapped her knuckles against the door.

"Class starts in fifteen. Whatcha need?" Tai called out from the other side of the door. Summer could hear paper's shuffling on his desk and the scratch of a pen.

Her throat seized, mouth refusing to speak in the way she was trying to, "Umm, h-hey! I heard uh… I heard Qrow Branwen is a teacher here…? Could you point me in his direction…?"

"Come on in," Tai replied easily. Summer did as she was bid, turning the knob to push the door open and step inside. She stayed standing with the door open uncertainly, blue eyes falling on Tai's own as he sat at his desk.

Tai looked her up and down in barely suppressed surprise, "So you're…" he hesitated a moment, coughing into his hand and seeming to change what he'd been about to say, "So you're looking for Qrow? I'm afraid he's out at the moment, but if you'd like… I could give him a call?"

Summer brought a hand up to rub her opposite forearm, eyes falling to the side to stare at the floor, "Um, if you wouldn't mind? I uh, came a long way to find him…"

"I don't doubt it," Tai smiled, pulling out his scroll. He typed out a quick message and hit send, "I have to start class soon, but you're free to wait for him in his office. Just down the hall, room 2G."

Summer nodded her timid thanks and turned to leave, but was stopped as Tai spoke up once more, "Sorry, I didn't catch your name?"

"Eve…" Summer said over her shoulder.

"Nice to meet you, Eve. Feel free to stop by if you need anything else, okay? My office is always open outside class hours."

"Thank you, Mister…?"

"Xiao Long, but you can call me Tai," Summer could hear the smile in his tone of voice.

"Thanks, Tai…" Summer left at that, letting the door close behind herself and turning to walk further down the hallway. She waited until she was in room 2G before leaning back against the door with a smile of her own plastered across her face.

' _My grandpa is so nice!_ ' Summer thought ecstatically, feeling her giddiness bubbling up into her chest. It was obvious that Qrow had at least told Tai about his little run in with Summer, and the words he'd overheard her saying. Even if she would have to pretend that Tai was her uncle instead of her grandfather, the chance to finally get to know him made her happier than she'd been all week.

Qrow's 'office' was fairly barren, little more than a desk and necessities. A single filing cabinet flanked his desk, which was strewn with loosely placed papers and a cup filled with randomly assorted pens and pencils. On his desk sat a small plaque with his name on it. The wooden finish was scuffed, likely from booted feet being placed up on top of it. Aside from that, a single picture frame adorned his wall, showing Qrow and Tai arm in arm together, flexing for the camera while a much younger Yang hung off Tai's arm, and a younger Ruby off Qrow's.

Summer sat down in the only other chair in the room aside from Qrow's desk chair, a small rickety thing that protested underneath Summer's medium sized frame. She absentmindedly smoothed out her clothes and tugged down on her jacket to straighten it out. As a final touch, she made sure to pull down on her zipper, making the angled cross more prominently displayed in the middle of her chest.

She waited, reciting the lies and half truths she would use in her head. A needed preparation, if her earlier anxiety was anything to go by, ' _Although it might make it more believable…_ ' Summer shrugged, figuring it would work out either way. While the words themselves would be lies, the intent behind them would be more than genuine.

Heavy footsteps greeted Summer's ears, long after the pounding of students running to class had already ended. She nervously smoothed her clothes out once more as the door opened, admitting an equally nervous Qrow. Summer spared him a smile, barely more than a twitching of her lips, and waited for him to enter fully.

The door closed behind Qrow as he stared at her, his hand reaching into an inner pocket to withdraw his flask. Shaky hands uncapped the top and he drank greedily, using his sleeve to wipe his mouth off afterwards, "So uh, I heard you were looking for me?"

"Y-yeah…"

Qrow moved to sit against his desk, still mostly standing but only a few feet from Summer. He eyed her up and down, noticing the weapons she bore before reverting his gaze back to her eyes, "What can I do for you…?"

"I've been looking for you for a long time…" Summer lied, feigning the confession with a timid smile, "My uh… mother, wasn't able to give much of a description before she passed. She gave the ones that found her a few details," her hand raised to the cross on her chest, "along with some of the things she remembered you wearing…"

Qrow's eyes caught on the cross, his hand drifting up to the one that hung from his own neck, "D-did she now?" his eyes widened, shoulders slumping, "So your mom… she's dead then?"

Visions of her real mother being turned to ash flashed through Summer's eyes once more, and she allowed very real tears to fall full force. She raised her hands, using her sleeves to wipe them away futilely. They were quickly replaced by more, "She is, yeah. I'm… I'm going to cut straight to the point if you don't mind…" blurry eyes raised up to soft red, "I think I'm your daughter, Qrow. I learned everything I could about the description she'd given, and tried tracking you down. You weren't in Mistral often enough, though, and every time I tried…" she shrugged weakly, "Seems fate didn't want us together. I've had nothing but bad luck trying to find you… Every time I thought I was close..."

Qrow's face fell, eyes closing slowly to blink back a wetness of their own. His voice came out in hoarse dismay, "It wasn't _you're_ bad luck, kid. I'm sure of that…" his eyes returned to Summer's own, "...What's your name?"

"...Eve."

Qrow stepped forward to hold a hand out, "Nice to meet you, Eve," he eyed her up and down, "How… How old are you?"

Summer stood and accepted the handshake, finally managing to get the tears to stop flowing quite so heavily, "S-seventeen in a couple weeks. I was thinking of joining Beacon since I'm here… I want to be a huntress."

Qrow's eyes widened, his hand freezing in place, "Beacon… it just started its new term. You missed it by a day…"

Summer let go of his hand to slump back into her chair, the legs sliding back with her sudden weight. She leaned forward to place her head in her hands, hiding her face from view, and let out a small sobbing chuckle, "Just my luck…"

There was a rustling of cloth and the sounds of quick typing while Qrow went through his contacts. He pressed on one in particular and held the scroll up to face himself, face firming in determination. Ozpin's face appeared on the other side, the edge of Beacon cliff behind him.

"Yes, what is it, Qrow? I'm a little busy with initiation."

"I need you to meet someone. Today. As soon as you're done with initiation, if possible," Qrow demanded.

Ozpin grew a curious expression on his face, "And who might this person be that you would demand so vehemently?"

Qrow spun the scroll so that it's camera would face Summer, sitting on the chair. Her eyes widened, and her cheeks heated at the sudden attention from the wizard's current incarnation. Qrow gave it a moment and swung the scroll back to face himself, "My _daughter_ , Oz. She needs to join Beacon."

"Oh?" Ozpin raised an eyebrow, then a finger along with it to make a small swirling motion, "Turn the scroll back around if you would, Qrow. I'd like to speak to her now if it makes no difference to you."

Qrow did as he was bid, and the wizard's eyes once more fell onto Summer, "It is nice to meet you, young lady. Qrow says you wish to join my school? I'm afraid that initiation is currently taking place. Might I ask, what are your qualifications?"

Summer sat up a little straighter, wiping the tears from her cheeks, "I-I'm strong… and skilled… If you like, I could kill some Grimm? Maybe spar against someone…? I want to get into Beacon…"

"Well…" Ozpin stared at her with a quizzical frown, considering her proposals, "It may be odd trying to figure out how you might work with another team… they usually consist of four, and without you here to be placed on one, I'm afraid you would end up alone in that regard."

Summer let her eyes fall to the ground, "That's probably for the best… My semblance… I get headaches if I'm around other people for too long…"

"Is that so? Perhaps a unique arrangement would be for the best, then? May I ask what your semblance is?"

Summer nodded, ' _Time for at least a partial truth, if not all of it,_ ' and pulled out a coin, "I can see a few moments into the future… All the different ways things might happen. It lets me predict what others are going to do in a fight, but if I try keeping up with so many different possibilities in a crowd…" she shrugged, tossing the coin so that it would spin in the air and catching it so that it was hidden from all eyes, "It's a lot of information to take in."

"I see…" Ozpin stroked his chin thoughtfully, "That is interesting," his eyes fell on Summer's hands, a single eyebrow raised in a silent question.

Summer allowed some of her aura to trickle free as she focused on the one portion of her semblance that was good for fights, clearly revealing what would happen within the next few seconds. She lifted her hand as she spoke, calling out the side that the coin had landed on.

"Tails."

Her hands lifted away to reveal the Beacon Academy logo, a 'tails' whilst the other side depicting Vale was 'heads'.

"Well done, Miss…?"

"Eve."

"No last name?"

"I…" Summer's eyes flickered to Qrow's own, her shoulders slumping once more.

"Eve Branwen," Qrow replied fiercely, picking up where Summer had trailed off. He spun the scroll to face him once more, "What do you think, Oz?"

Ozpin was quiet for a few moments while his attention was pulled away by a female's voice off to the side. They muttered back and forth, attention thoroughly diverted from the scroll in his hands. He finally turned back with a smile, a light chuckle escaping his lips.

"Well, it appears that both of your cousins have managed to end up on the same team. I suppose it would be alright if you attended Beacon this year. Wouldn't want to miss out on all the fun now, would you?"

Summer smiled, ' _All of the fun, huh? If only you knew, Wizard._ '

Qrow smiled in kind, the light returning to his eyes, "I'm grateful, Oz. I'll make sure she's packed and up there before curfew tonight. Will you have a room set aside?"

"As near to her cousins' as I can manage," Ozpin inclined his head, then had his attention pulled away again, "I'm sorry but we'll have to discuss the rest later, Qrow. Welcome to Beacon, Miss Branwen."

"Thank you, Headmaster!" Summer called out just before the call was ended, genuine happiness masking the overwhelming triumph she felt.

' _I didn't even have to pop back in time for a second attempt! Goes to show what you can do with more than a little preparation!_ "

Qrow stood fully, his eyes on Summer for a few moments before averting them to the side. The tension returned slightly, with him being uncertain on what to do now that their business with Oz had been squared away. Qrow raised a hand up to the back of his head, rubbing it on his neck, then turned to look at her and raised his hand in a shrug, "Want to get some lunch?"

Summer's stomach grumbled hungrily at the mention of food, surprising even herself considering how much she had eaten the day before. She placed a hand to her stomach shyly, cheeks heating at the truth of the matter being voiced without her consent, "I uh, could eat something."

Qrow laughed and stepped to the door, holding it open for her, "Well then, I know a great place over in Vale. You been there yet?"

Summer stood and followed him out, giving a polite nod when stepping through, "Only for a bit. Enough to find out you were a teacher on Patch… Rooms were a bit more expensive over there so I've been staying on Patch instead."

"How long have you been here?"

"Um, about five days?" she brought a hand up to play with the cross on her chest nervously, "I wanted to meet you sooner, but… It took me a while to summon up the courage."

"No worries, kid. Can't blame you for that," Qrow held a hand up to signal her to slow down as they approached room 2B. Summer could hear Tai's voice loudly projecting over the class, instructing them on how best to stitch together a torn combat outfit.

He was rudely interrupted by Qrow's foot smashing his door open.

The door crashed against the inside wall, springing back with enough force that Qrow needed to stop it once more with an outstretched hand. Tai reeled back in surprise, hands reaching down to his waist for a weapon that wasn't there, only to see Qrow grinning widely.

The class full of students stared in gawking surprise at Qrow's arrival, one even dropping a pencil from slackened fingers.

"Qrow! You-!"

Tai was interrupted once more by Qrow holding a finger up and taking a swig off his flask. He wiped his mouth and then nodded back to Summer, "Tai, meet your new niece, Eve Branwen."

Tai closed his eyes and sighed, breathing out slowly before opening his eyes once more to look at Summer, "Hello again, Eve. Glad to see that Qrow is in such high spirits," the way he said it was strained, as if Qrow's recent actions were encroaching on his happiness for him, "I'm sure we'll have time to speak later. For now," he glared at Qrow, "I have a _class_ to teach… and a door to fix…"

"Say no more, say no more," Qrow backed out with a grin, pulling the door closed with him so that it retained some semblance of its former ability to remain shut. The entire mechanism had broken with his kick, leaving small splinters of wood scattered across the ground. He saw Summer's worried frown and waved a hand dismissively, "Tai's semblance lets him fix things. Mostly objects, but it helps him with people, too. He'll mend the door easily enough."

"...I take it that wasn't your first time busting in on him?"

Qrow led the way downstairs, scratching his chin with a nail raking through light stubble, "No, not the _first_ ," he coughed to hide his sudden embarrassment, "Let's just say there was one _very_ awkward time at Beacon involving him and my sister and leave it at that."

"You have a sister?" Summer feigned surprise, eyes widening and voice growing whispery while refusing to think about what his little story had been insinuating.

"Yup," Qrow confirmed with a nod of his head, "She's not around though, and kind of a touchy subject around Yang. I wouldn't bring her up too much."

"Yang?"

"My niece. Blond girl, little older than you and with one hell of a temper. She's going to Beacon this year as well, along with her younger sister Ruby," Qrow opened the door back into Patch, both setting off for the docks a small way outside town.

"If Ruby is her _younger_ sister than how'd she get into Beacon? Don't you need to be seventeen? I thought I'd have to wait until next year, truth be told."

Qrow waved a hand, "Eh, you're close enough. Ruby helped stop this guy named Torchwick from robbing a dust shop so Oz let her in a couple years early. She's good for her age, no doubt about that, and definitely doesn't have an equal when it comes to the other students in Signal. Still, I wasn't sure what to think when Tai broke the news to me. Thought we'd have a couple more years to really make sure she was good and ready."

"Well, if the Headmaster thinks she is, then maybe you don't have anything to worry about?" Summer continued to feign ignorance, having practiced it the longest out of all the things she'd prepared for. Information was half the battle, as they said, but knowing things you shouldn't was an easy route to people like Oz becoming suspicious. Luckily if she messed up too badly, she could always go back in time to warn herself. Summer's lack of messages was a constant comfort.

"Can't help it," Qrow shrugged, then turned to eye her weapons once more, "You know how to use those things?"

"I'm… good enough," Summer replied modestly, running her thumb along the grip of her pistol. The other drifted up to grasp the short sword on her back. She pulled it free and held it out to Qrow, giving him the chance to look it over if he wished.

Qrow accepted it and gave it a few test swings, looking closely at it, "No transformations?"

"No, not quite," Summer agreed, accepting it when Qrow handed the sword back to her, "but…" she swiped it through the air towards the nearby trees, careful to not include Qrow in its path, and sent a surge of her aura down into the length of the blade. The blue along the edge glowed, a mixture of wind and lightning dust forming together to send out an arc of blue energy. The narrow wave flashed out past the edge of her blade, continuing off to slash into the bark of a tree and leave a deep gouge in its form.

"Heh, not half bad," Qrow gave the sword an appreciative glance, then stopped to run a finger along the length of the gash, checking its depth, "How's it do against Grimm?"

"Well enough. I'm still alive, aren't I?" Summer smirked, returning the weapon to her back. Another spark of aura caused the gravity dust to react and clip itself to the same dust lining the back of her jacket.

The treeline opened up to reveal the ocean, calm, foamy waves rippling up against the beach on either side of the docks. The wooden platform reached out across the water, nearly thirty feet in length, and ended with the ferry at its edge. It was a large white ship, bulky compared to some of the other smaller ships that Summer could see traversing the water between Patch and Vale.

' _Nice to see it actually in one piece…_ ' Summer mused, staring at the large ferry as they approached. It had been destroyed in the future, people fleeing on it to Patch caught completely defenseless and unable to ward off the Grimm hoard that descended from the skies. The ship itself had crashed ashore near the docks, running aground and tearing apart the hull. In its stead, Summer and her mother had used a much smaller raft whenever they need to cross.

Qrow paid the fair as they stepped aboard and walked to the front of the ship. Summer leaned against the railing, staring off into the distance where Vale lay. Already, she could see a difference merely staring at the skyline itself. Beacon tower stood like a towering giant above the rest of Beacon, and that group of buildings itself towered yet again from the cliff overtop Vale. The sun glowed above, lighting it all in a glimmering array of colors.

Summer sighed contentedly, eyes fixated while her heart leaped in her chest, ' _Finally, I'll get to see Vale in all its glory!_ ' Locking herself in her room for three days had been torture, but had accomplished the desired results. Qrow believed her, Ozpin was letting her into Beacon, and her plans could truly begin. Everything had gone off without a hitch.

She turned her head slightly to acknowledge Qrow as he took up the spot next to her, leaning out and staring off just as Summer had been, "Beautiful, isn't it? I still remember seeing it myself for the first time…"

"You aren't from Vale?"

"Nope. Mistral, just like you. My sister and I traveled to Vale so that we could attend Beacon, too," he laughed sadly, "Our reasons were a bit less innocent, though."

' _Learning to kill hunters, right?_ ' Summer didn't ask, knowing that Qrow wouldn't want to answer, either, ' _We aren't quite as different as you think, Uncle Qrow. We've both got our secrets…_ '

Qrow cleared his throat as the ferry approached the docks into Vale, now only a minute out, "No need bringing up ancient history. What do you want to eat?"

Summer frowned, wondering what other delights the world could possibly hold. She'd already enjoyed a few different types of pizza, a couple burgers, candy, french fries… "You choose. I'm not a very picky eater."

"Hard to be, growing up in Mistral," Qrow chuckled, turning to face Summer fully while leaning on his elbows against the railing, "Alright, let's see… You ever tried cuisine from Menagerie?"

Summer pretended to frown in thought, then gave up with a small shrug, "Can't say I have. What's it like?"

"Oh, different kinds of fried noodles and meat soaked in sauces. It's a buffet, so dealer's choice, really. Plenty of options."

' _Buffet…?_ ' the word was foreign to Summer. From the way Qrow had acted though, she figured it would appear odd _not_ to know what it meant, so shrugged internally. Any food was good food.

"Sounds great," Summer grinned, feeling her mouth beginning to water slightly. The food itself really did sound right up her alley.

Their conversation was put on hold by the ferry letting out a loud blare from the horn on the top deck, warning other boats and potential passengers that it had arrived. Summer headed excitedly over to where the gangplank would be dropped, eagerly awaiting her first steps into a living city.

Already, an entire host of people could be seen near the docks, walking along the street or patiently waiting for the ferry's arrival. Summer could see many dressed in a variety of colorful outfits and carrying bags, in the midst of shopping. The entire concept was fairly new to her. If you wanted something in an apocalypse, you took it as long as no one else was going to kill you for it.

A thought came to Summer's mind and she groaned as Qrow approached. He flashed a look of concern, but she waved it off a moment later, "I forgot my other pair of clothes back at the inn…" she pulled out what remained of her lien and winced, "I should be able to buy a replacement…"

Qrow rolled his eyes at the pitiful amount held in Summer's hands. He raised his own hand, almost as if he wanted to ruffle it through her hair, then paused and let it fall to the side instead, "I've got you covered, kid. We'll buy you a few more outfits on top of that. You can't walk around everywhere like you are now."

"I like these clothes," Summer argued, feeling suddenly extremely self conscious with the way Qrow was averting his gaze. She folded her arms across her chest and narrowed her eyes up at him, "You aren't going to start acting like you know what's best for me, are you?"

' _The last thing I need is a Qrow on my shoulder._ '

Qrow itched his cheek and cleared his throat, "... I won't pretend like I know what's best. You've made it this far, and for that… I'll respect your wishes," he sighed and turned to face her, "I'm still buying you more clothes, though."

Summer felt her cheeks coloring slightly and turned her head away, ' _Mom should have given Uncle Qrow more credit. He's a lot nicer than her stories about him would have suggested…_ ' she spoke up weakly, "A-alright. We can do that too…"

Qrow merely nodded acceptance and stepped past onto the gangplank as it was lowered. Summer followed in his footsteps, allowing him to carve a path through the crowd ahead of them until they'd reached a more open portion of the sidewalk. She hurried up next to him with a few quick strides, then reverted to staring in awe at the city around them.

Fires, rubble, rotting corpses and Grimm were all that remained of Vale in her timeline. The occasional building still stood, a testament to the workmanship of humans and faunus alike. Here, everything was brightly colored and remained in all its glory, with neon signs and brilliant lights just waiting for night to fall. Summer basked in the sights, heedless of the older huntsman next to her.

Qrow simply took it in stride, smiling lightly at the happiness his new daughter seemed to be experiencing. If a little stroll around Vale was all it took to impress her, then he wouldn't have his hands nearly as full as Tai did with Yang and Ruby.

The path to the restaurant was relatively short, a quick jaunt along the main strip of town and near enough to the docks that it was a convenient distance for most Vale goers. Summer's eyes followed Qrow's finger, pointing off in its direction when she had been about to stray off in another direction instead.

The building he pointed to was a large concrete establishment, its walls painted red with large gold lettering. Paper lanterns were strung up across the entrance, washing away what little shadows there were beneath the eaves with a dull golden glow. Summer tilted her head for a moment, trying to recognize where exactly this place had been among the rest of the rubble in the city. Red rubble came to mind, splashed with touches of gold. A quick glance around the rest of the street allowed her to better place exactly where this had been.

Once inside, they were both greeted by a server and led to a table. Summer inhaled deeply, smelling the assortment of scents wafting from the various buffet tables lined up in the center of the room. Customers sat around tables, chatting amiably between each other or excused themselves to return to the buffet line and grab fresh plates. Summer wiped a sleeve across her mouth, self conscious of the way her mouth began to water.

Qrow requested some alcohol be brought to the table for himself before both he and the server turned to Summer. The waitress raised her notepad and pen in a silent gesture that asked 'What would you like?'

Summer had no idea what sort of drinks they might serve.

"Umm, h-how about some water?"

' _Restaurants had to have water, right?_ '

"Get what you want, kid. I might be a teacher but I'm not poor~ Why don't you get a soda or something?" Qrow chuckled, moving off towards the buffet and leaving Summer alone with the waitress.

She raised an eyebrow, and Summer could feel anxiety getting the better of her. Social interaction was not her strong suit, especially not with complete strangers. At least she'd heard stories about Qrow, Tai, and all the rest. She knew nothing about this person…

"Um, what he said? I'll take a soda."

"What kind?" eyebrow still raised, pen still waiting to mark down her order.

Summer smiled awkwardly and raised a hand to the back of her head, rubbing it across silky hair to reach her neck, "Sorry, I'm from Mistral. What's, um… available?"

The waitress listed off a long list of various drinks, none of which Summer recognized the names to. At the end of her spiel, Summer chose at random from the options given. The waitress nodded with a smile, jotting down her request, and left to get it for them. Now alone aside from the other people at nearby tables, Summer breathed out a quiet sigh of relief and looked around.

Qrow was busy at the the moment, gathering up his own assortment of various uncooked food items into a bowl. Summer kept an eye on what he and the others were doing, not wanting to embarrass herself or appear out of place. Once they'd collected the food they wanted, customers stepped into line and waited to hand their bowls over to the cooks behind the counter.

One enormously large counter top appeared to be heated, and the cooks would pour their items out, then use metal spatulas to mix them along with whatever colored liquid the person chose, and accept it once done on a plate on the other side. The entire cooking area remained open so that customers could watch their food being made.

' _Simple enough…_ ' Summer joined the line and grabbed one of the bowls set aside for that exact purpose. She eyed the buffet, noticing almost immediately that many of the items were completely foreign to her. Her eyes scanned across what was available, deciding to pick out as much of what was recognizable as possible.

Summer added a copious amount of chicken, along with long frozen noodles and a couple eggs. She made a small 'hmm' sound, looking at the rest as she went by. ' _Why not be a little adventurous?_ ' she picked out some of the vegetables, many of which she couldn't identify, and added them to the mix. The brightest ones caught her attention the most, bowl quickly becoming a mixture of reds and greens along with what she'd already grabbed before.

Reaching the front of the line, Summer glanced across the assortment of colored liquids waiting to be used. She panicked, realizing the chef was waiting for her to choose one so that he could get started, and pointed out one of the oily red liquids. Her heart fell when he raised an eyebrow, looking her up and down in confusion and making her believe she'd chosen something odd. After a confused frown, he shrugged, dispensing some of it into her bowl and passing it off to another one of the cooks behind him.

It only took a couple minutes for the confection to be finished. The cook scraped her meal on to a plate and handed it to her with a grin. Fox ears twitched on top of the faunus girl's head. She winked at Summer discreetly, then wished her a quiet 'good luck'.

' _What…?_ ' Summer simply nodded her thanks, thoroughly confused, and set off back to the table that she and Qrow had been assigned. Their drinks were already waiting for them, and Qrow had dug into his own meal after downing a generous amount of the amber liquid in his glass.

The first thing Summer noticed about her meal was the smell, its scent wafting up into her nostrils on the way back and causing her nose to run. She blinked her eyes, feeling them starting to grow moist for some unknown reason, and settled into the seat opposite Qrow's.

Utensils had been provided for each table, wrapped in napkins and left for them to use. Summer picked up a fork and pretended to busy herself with her drink while eyeing Qrow sideways, wondering how best to go about eating the noodles.

Qrow set his glass down and stabbed his fork down into the center of the plate, twisting it in place to pick up a generous amount of food before raising the fork to his mouth. Summer continued to blink frequently, eyes growing wet around the corners. She stabbed her fork into the mass of noodles, chicken, and brightly colored vegetables before bringing a copious amount to her mouth.

' _Mmmm, this is pretty good_ ,' Summer chewed happily, enjoying the way the various foods complimented each other. After a few moments, a dull heat began to form, which she started off ignoring. After another second, and swallowing in concern, Summer felt the heat rapidly increasing. It was a heat unlike any other she'd ever experienced, burning away at her insides and causing her throat to seize.

Summer gasped, feeling as if her very windpipes were about to close. Pain seared white hot through her mouth, and her cheeks began to heat up. She could feel sweat beading on her forehead, and reached down in a panic to the drink she had ordered. Summer drank greedily, swishing the 'soda' in her mouth to try and rid herself of whatever was causing such torment. It only served to spread the heat to parts of her mouth that had been untouched until that moment.

Qrow heard her pained gasps and looked up worriedly, seeing her face beginning to turn red and the obvious discomfort she was feeling. He looked down at her plate, eyes widening, "Did you _know_ you grabbed the spiciest food in the place!?"

' _Spicy?_ ' Summer could only dimly recall the word being used by her mother once upon a time when describing foods of the past, ' _Why would anyone WANT this!?_ ' she shook her head frantically, finding that inhaling sharply seemed to stem the heat, if only for a moment each time.

Qrow hopped up and headed over to another section of the buffet, separate from the rest. He grabbed a small bowl and spooned out a generous amount of some pale, cream colored food. He rushed back and set it in front of her along with a spoon that clattered roughly next to it, "Try that. It should help."

Summer obliged, using the spoon to scoop out a generous amount of whatever this new food was before bringing it to her mouth. It was somewhere between a solid and a liquid, and smothered the burning heat with a creamy goodness. Summer swallowed, feeling the heat begin to return, and took another bite to quell it once more. She left it in her mouth, steadfastly refusing to let the heat build up.

"Heh, guess I should have waited for you since you haven't been to a place like this before," he leaned forward to carefully smell her plate, then balked immediately with a wave of his hand, rapidly blinking, "Yeah, that's the potent stuff right there. Mistral might have an abundance of peppers, but Menagerie is _known_ for their spices. A lot of faunus can't get enough of the stuff, meanwhile humans are left teary-eyed and begging for relief."

Summer's mouth was still mostly full, and wanting to avoid being rude by attempting to speak, instead pointed at whatever it was that Qrow had brought her.

He shrugged, "Just vanilla yogurt, nothing special. Pretty common up in Atlas, though I guess you'd come by it a lot less often in Mistral. Never saw it much til I moved to Vale, now that I think about it."

' _Yo-gurt?_ ' the name sounded entirely unappealing, but she'd be damned if it wasn't helping quench the fire in her mouth. Summer swallowed once more and felt the heat return only slightly, much milder than it had been previously.

"Better?"

Summer inhaled sharply, dispelling the remainder of the heat that had tormented her until it was only a dull ache, and gave a weak nod, "I had no idea _anything_ could get that 'spicy'."

"It's more bearable if you take smaller bites," Qrow commented. He used his own fork to take a small portion off Summer's plate and blew on it before taking a bite. He inhaled sharply after swallowing and smacked his chest with a fist. Aside from that, he appeared to be fine enough, "Not so bad that way."

Summer mimicked him, taking only a small amount of noodles, a piece of chicken, and a single pepper on to her fork at the same time. She hesitantly put it in her mouth and chewed slowly, feeling the heat starting to return. The ferocity was much less severe this time, allowing Summer to continue enjoying the actual flavor that came with it once more.

Summer finished off the plate in due time, taking intermittent spoonfuls of yogurt on the side to quench the heat when it started to become too high. ' _I can see why the faunus like it. It's actually really delicious once you figure out how to eat it correctly…_ '

Qrow got up and went back for seconds, leaving his plate which was picked up by one of the servers during their rounds of the establishment. Summer handed her own plate off as well and went to follow her uncle. She grabbed another bowl and filled it once more, this time vying for a different type of meat.

Once she reached the front of the line, the faunus girl from before pushed up next to the attendant at the front and took Summer's bowl instead. She glared at the older man so that he'd trade places, forcing him to walk away in a deep grumble. She turned to Summer with a sly grin, eyes roaming up and down her figure, "Saw you enjoying the Menagerie Special. Would there happen to be any other faunus… _delicacies_ , that might have caught your eye~?"

' _I don't know, this is all new to me…_ ' Summer caught Qrow looking back at her with a smug grin of his own and frowned, wondering what he was finding so amusing, "Um, I'm not too familiar with anything from Menagerie. The Special was good, though, so if you have any recommendations…?"

The girl simpered and dug into a pocket before sliding her hand across the counter. When she pulled away, a small piece of paper had been left behind. The girl gave her another wink, "Any time you want to try something new, just give me a call~" she then dispensed more of the spicy liquid into Summer's bowl and handed it back to the cook behind her. Summer smiled in return and pocketed the slip of paper as she moved along for the next person in line, thoroughly confused by the entire conversation.

' _Is she offering to cook for me personally? I guess if it's her job, then she might be better than most…_ '

Qrow gave her a knowing smile when she returned to the table with him, confusing her further. She arched an eyebrow after she sat, frowning, "What?"

"Nothing, I'm just glad to see you've got some real Branwen in you. That was _smooth_ , kid. Real smooth."

"Um… what was?"

"Getting her number, duh. Did you think I wouldn't notice? She was all over you back there!"

"Well... yeah…? How else is she supposed to cook for me…?" Summer was beginning to seriously doubt her grasp of the situation. Qrow's words and the other girls weren't matching up in the slightest. She pulled out the paper to look at it more closely and saw a small group of hearts drawn in the margins, number itself written in bold pen markings across the front. The way it was scribbled suggested the girl had been in a hurry to get the numbers down.

"Wait…" Qrow raised his hands, a devilish smirk coming to his face, "You realize she was asking you out, right?"

'...'

Summer buried her head in her hands, feeling her face blushing bright red, this time without any help from the food on her plate. Her voice came out frantic, muffled by the arms wrapped around her face, " _Oh_ … I…" Summer didn't know what to say aside from the truth. She raised her eyes up to Qrow, whispering fiercely, "I'm not into _girls!_ "

Qrow laughed loudly, deep chest bellows that drew the attention of others nearby. Summer balked under their gazes and buried her face once more to hide away from it all, ' _This is so embarrassing! I… I can't. No way! I've gotta fix this!_ '

Summer excused herself from the table to look for the bathroom, eyes scanning the establishment for a moment before zeroing in on her safe haven. She picked her way across the restaurant, refusing to meet anyone else's stares or the affection kiss the girl blew towards her.

Once inside the relative safety of the bathroom, Summer stepped into one of the unused stalls furthest from the door. Thankfully, they came complete with actual walls and doors, unlike those she'd seen that left a gap around the bottom edge. Summer locked the door behind herself and looked down at her watch, cheeks still burning in embarrassment. A jump back of only a few minutes would be simple enough.

Concentrating for only a moment, the blue glyph appeared on the white tiled floor beneath her feet. In an instant, it rewound to the time she wished to go to. The world around Summer faded before lurching back into place, leaving her with a momentary sense of vertigo. Her stomach protested slightly, but she was otherwise fine.

' _I have to warn myself_ ,' Summer pressed one of the buttons along the side of her watch, causing another section to spring free beneath her wrist and project a keyboard made of hard light dust, perfectly placed so that she could type with both her left and right hands.

"The girl at the counter wants to go out with you! Turn her down! Meet me in the bathroom afterwards!" Summer sent the message then sat down with a ragged sigh on the toilet seat. It was up to 'her' to get it right this time.

' _Now all I can do is wait_.'

* * *

Qrow got up and went back for seconds, leaving his plate which was picked up by one of the servers during their rounds of the establishment. Summer handed her own plate off as well and went to follow her uncle. She grabbed another bowl and filled it once more, this time vying for a different type of meat.

Summer's watch vibrated minutely, making no sound, but alerting her with its movement against the back of her wrist. She looked down at it in alarm, pausing in line before reaching the front. Summer turned her body sideways to face the wall, then activated her watch so that the message would scroll across the screen.

" _The girl at the counter wants to go out with you! Turn her down! Meet me in the bathroom afterwards!_ "

Summer glanced over towards where the cooks were arranged and could see the girl in question staring in her direction. Their eyes caught for a moment, and the girl grinned widely, moving up to push her colleague out of the way. Summer blushed but turned to continue forward, moving up to the counter where the faunus girl waited with perked ears.

The girl winked at Summer with a sly grin, eyes roaming up and down her figure, "Saw you enjoying the Menagerie Special. Would there happen to be any other faunus… _delicacies_ , that might have caught your eye~?"

Summer could feel her cheeks heating as she set the bowl down on the counter, and did her best to summon up her courage, "Umm… sorry," she leaned forward in order to avoid anyone else catching on to their conversation, growing more nervous when the faunus girl leaned closer in kind, "I'm, um… _straight.._."

The faunus girl simpered, keeping her voice quiet and leaning forward until her mouth was directly next to Summer's ear. Fingers came up to play with the cross on her chest, and she whispered while dispensing the brightly colored liquid into the bowl, " _So are noodles until they get wet~_ "

The girl giggled while Summer reeled back in shock, then handed the bowl back to the person behind her before dipping a hand into the pocket of her apron. She slid a small piece of paper across to Summer, grinning widely at her reaction, "You ever feel like there's an _itch_ the boys just can't scratch, give me a call~ I'll help a girl out anytime she's in need of a little… _more_ , than what they have to offer."

Summer nodded numbly, noticing Qrow smirking back at her with a knowing smile. She hurried past to grab her plate once it was finished, hearing barely suppressed giggles following in her wake.

Summer dropped her plate off at the table and excused herself to the bathroom before Qrow could get a word in edgewise.

Stepping into the bathroom, Summer could see that all of the stalls were currently unoccupied aside from the one furthest down. She made her way there quickly, then knocked six times, using her own secret code, of sorts. The door opened, and her future self stood there, red in the face the same way Summer likely still was.

Future Summer raised an eyebrow expectantly.

Summer held up the piece of paper the girl had given her, number and all.

"What!? She _still_ asked us out!?" Future Summer balked, eyes going wide, "And you said we were _straight_ , right?"

"Of course! This isn't my first time taking instructions!" Summer had the urge to hide her shamed face in her hands, but knew it was pointless. The only other one there _was_ her.

Future Summer shook her head in bewilderment, "I don't know what else we could say. We shouldn't put her off by being racist or anything. I don't have the heart for that…"

"Obviously not…" Summer sighed in defeat, shaking her head minutely, "I think we're just gonna have to live with it."

Future Summer shook her head the same way, silky black hair swishing across her shoulders, "Anything else worth mentioning before I go back out there?" they could both see the timer on their watches counting down, nearing the moment where Summer would be forced back in time due to the fixed point her future self had created.

"No. I didn't talk to Qrow at all, either," Summer looked down at her watch and prepared herself for the jump back in time, "Are we leaving it the same?"

Future Summer nodded, seeming to have had time to calm down, "It isn't worth the aura…"

Summer sighed and gave a two finger salute, feeling her semblance beginning to take hold, "Well, best of luck with Qrow."

* * *

Summer watched as the blue glyph activated beneath her past self, forcefully jumping the other girl back in time to repeat what she herself had already done. Summer sighed and stepped out of the stall, face returning to a dull red in dread of what Qrow would have to say.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wanted to give an early demonstration on the gist of how Summer's semblance works, then go into more detail in this AN.
> 
> Semblance: Eleventh Hour
> 
> Minor Effect: While concentrating, Summer can see every possible outcome of events within the next few seconds. This allows her to predict an opponent's movements in a fight, and respond to each situation with that foreknowledge. Doing so slowly drains her aura, and gives her a headache if used for too long.
> 
> Major Effect: Summer can use her semblance to jump backwards in time, consuming an appropriate amount of aura depending on how far she travels. The first iteration will always appear from where she left in space, merely traveling back to arrive there earlier in time.
> 
> The second 'past' iteration of Summer will automatically be forced to use her semblance once she reaches that same moment in time, no matter where she is. Until that moment, there are two versions of Summer. She uses her watch to keep track of when she's going to be forced to jump, and if necessary, can include the time she's going to arrive at in her messages. When Summer is forced to jump back in time, she will still always arrive in the space she currently occupied. This allows her to set up better destinations in case of a bad 'landing' zone.
> 
> If Summer creates a fixed point, and then later on, jumps back in time even further than that, then all jumps between then will fail. Summer's watch keeps track of all the messages it has sent and received. It will automatically send out those same messages so that 'past' Summer can continue following instructions as normal, keeping the timeline intact. 'Future' Summer must also replicate any actions her future self took between those times.
> 
> Because of this, Summer tries to not interact with her past self, as it makes it more difficult to replicate anything that wasn't included in the messages, instead having to rely on memory alone.
> 
> The most important rule to keep in mind...
> 
> There can only ever be two.
> 
> For the most part, the perspective should remain on Summer without too many of these back and forth jumps. She'll receive messages on her watch, act accordingly, and then replicate them 'off screen'. The only times this won't be the case will either be for humorous purposes, or plot relevance.
> 
> I'm going to stay focused on keeping it as straightforward as possible to keep confusion to a minimum, while keeping track of it all myself to avoid potential plot holes.
> 
> Thanks for reading,
> 
> \- Sybaen


	4. Welcome to Beacon

The rest of Summer's time spent in the restaurant was in mostly silent embarrassment. Qrow seemed to believe it was his fatherly duty to tease her about the misunderstanding as much as possible. He was still quietly chuckling every now and then by the time they had paid and left the establishment, stepping back out into the midday heat.

Summer looked up and down the street, uncertain of where they might go next to find clothes. She had managed to find a few demolished stores on occasion during her Vale outings in the future, but with everything still intact, hadn't a shred of an idea on where to go.

Qrow stepped out next to her and stretched for a moment, letting out a sigh and lowering a hand to pat his stomach contentedly, "That really hit the spot," he turned to Summer with a grin, "Ready to pick up some clothes for your date~?"

Summer blushed and crossed her arms, looking off to the side to avoid his mischievous face, "I am _not_ going on a date," she relaxed slowly, realizing the reaction had been exactly what he was aiming for, and let one arm fall while the other shifted to rub her forearm uncomfortably, "but, um… yes. I'd really appreciate it…If you… If you don't mind..."

"What kind of man would I be if I didn't make amends?" Qrow's grin faded, seeming to finally understand that the teasing was legitimately bothering her, and that she was too withdrawn to speak up. He shook his head with a somber smile, "Not a man at all, in my opinion," he gestured for her to follow and slowed for her to walk beside him, "So, did you want more clothes like what you already have? I know a nice enough place on main street that Yang likes going to."

Now a little less mesmerized by the sights of the buildings themselves, Summer was able to pay more attention to the people that lived in it. Within a few moments, she noticed the leering glances being sent her way by the men that passed. Small dartings of the eyes that were meant to go unnoticed, mixed in with much firmer stares in her periphery.

' _I was fine wearing this in the future, since there was no one to stare…_ ' She felt far more exposed, now that she'd caught on to the way others viewed her. Even a few other women leveled appreciative glances, much less concerned about hiding it than the men were.

Summer started growing anxious with all of the eyes on her and stammered, "N-no, I think you were right. Know any places with a bit more, uh… _material_?"

Qrow raised an eyebrow, then followed her gaze to an older gentleman busy looking Summer up and down. His face darkened, hand drifting back to rest on the hilt of his greatsword. The man that had been caught staring averted his gaze immediately, suddenly extremely intrigued with the featureless light pole next to him.

Qrow's hand drifted back down, and he walked a little bit closer, features remaining set in a glare for everyone nearby, "Yeah, sure kid. Whatever you want."

' _Why did mom forget to tell me about stuff like this!? All her stories were about saving people and having fun with her friends…_ ' Summer paused, thinking back to how her mother had looked while younger, ' _Then again, I took more after dad's side of the family than she did…_ ' She'd seen old photos of her Arc family aunts, all seven of them. Her body was much more inclined towards their physique, if a little… bustier… like her aunt Yang. Summer had even stylized part of her outfit on the old pictures of Yang's combat uniform.

' _Did Aunt Yang_ _ **like**_ _being gawked at?_ ' Summer had only known her for a short while, much earlier on in her younger years. Her impression of the blond had always been that she was one of the most gorgeous women in existence, someone to aspire to be like. That thought had never translated into what she was realizing now, that it was… _sex appeal..._ and others would be interested in _her_.

Summer brought her hands up to hide her face along with her glowing cheeks, and peeked out from between splayed fingers, "Whatever's best to make them stop…"

Qrow coughed and reached up to scratch his chin awkwardly, "That's a tall order, kid. I don't know who your mom was specifically, sorry to say I got around a lot back in those days… but she was _definitely_ a looker. You might want to consider getting used to it…"

"H-how?" Summer asked nervously.

Qrow shrugged, "Try and think of it as a compliment, maybe? I find it pretty flattering when I catch women throwing glances my way. Let's me know I've still got it, even after all these years."

To try and prove his point, Qrow looked off to a small group of women that were passing and smirked, raising a hand to point at them like a finger gun and winking as he 'fired' it.

" _Ladies~_ "

The group of women burst out laughing as they passed, a few of them likely a decade younger than the grizzled huntsman. Summer giggled, trying to stifle it with her hand but far too slow. She decided to just embrace the moment and do a little teasing of her own.

"Did you ever 'have it' to begin with~?"

Qrow didn't let it get him down though, even grinning a little wider when Summer seemed to inch out of her shell. He raised his arms, palms up in a 'what can I say' motion, "Can't win 'em all, kid. That's life for ya."

Summer relaxed somewhat, and began trying to take Qrow's earlier advice. ' _They're just compliments. Yeah… I look good… So what? Should I try to hide that?_ ' she faltered slightly, catching another man staring, then raised herself back up instead of shrinking, trying her hardest to exude confidence in place of her previous timidity, ' _E-embrace it. You're you. It's your body… and you can do whatever you want with it…_ '

' _I-... I_ _ **like**_ _these clothes. I won't change my style. Not for anyone._ '

Summer wrapped her arms around Qrow's, leaning into him slightly and resolving herself to what would never change, "Let's go to that place you mentioned before, where Yang shops..."

Qrow grinned down at her, standing a little taller, "That's the spirit."

Summer practiced having confidence along the way, using Qrow as a reassuring figure whenever her determination wavered. If he could laugh off being ridiculed with such ease, then why couldn't she take a few 'compliments' in stride? Thankfully with her close proximity, it became easier for him to send threatening glances at anyone that still managed to take it too far.

The path to the clothing store was a straight shot, the pair of them already being on main street, only needing to pick their way through the crowd in order to get to it. The shop itself was rather large, two wide, glass double doors swung open to admit them, a cooling breeze rushing out as they stepped inside. The clinking and sliding sound of dozens of metal hangers filled the air, along with the giddy chatter of a few groups of women. Here and there, a man could be spotted, usually accompanied by a female his age. All of the clothes within the store were definitely geared towards women, explaining the lack of any men that might have shopped alone otherwise.

A lady behind the counter greeted them loudly, and briefly disclosed what specials they had going on for the day before offering up any assistance that Summer might require. Not wanting to make her lack of knowledge apparent, Summer declined in favor of 'browsing'.

Within a few minutes of looking around for herself, Summer understood why her aunt would choose to come here of all places. The clothing inside was extremely fashionable, much of it on the more revealing side, but not without sections of more reserved attire. She busied herself by moving among the sections, picking out things she liked that were in her size.

Qrow hung back as she did, leaving her to it and only offering an opinion if she asked. After a handful of times, Summer realized he was simply agreeing with whatever she thought was nice, likely not wanting to offend her now that her confidence had shown itself. She chastised him with a pout, "I want your _real_ opinions," before going back over the ones she'd already shown off.

Qrow reluctantly complied, pointing out small things that Summer hadn't even thought of, like how a certain tank top she'd passed on matched her eyes, or how the pair of pants she'd picked would definitely clash with her hair color. After taking a second look and loosely modeling them in the mirror, she couldn't help but agree.

"Where'd you learn all this stuff?"

Qrow laughed lightly, "You try buying presents for a monster of a twin sister _without_ figuring this stuff out. A bit of research saved me from quite a few beatings, back in the day," he scratched his chin absentmindedly, "Now that I think about it, Yang's pretty much the same in that regard. She flipped out when I bought her assorted scrunchies for Christmas, and only ever used a couple of them…"

Summer could understand why. Of all the traits that she'd admired about her aunt in the short time she'd known her, the hair stood out the most. Even in an apocalypse, her aunt had managed to keep her golden locks radiant. At least, up until…

Summer forcefully removed herself from that line of thinking and focused instead on the task at hand. She pointed out more clothes to Qrow, things that were still on the rack or on the shelf. He offered up his advice with a hint of satisfaction, seemingly glad that she was trusting his opinion on the matter. Summer didn't have much of a choice, really. After piecing together some of the outfits he'd suggested, she couldn't help but admit that she was completely out of her depth.

After culminating a large assortment of various tops and bottoms, Summer made her way over to the dressing room, motioning for Qrow to wait outside on the bench, "I'll come out with each, so tell me what you think, okay?"

Qrow agreed and waited on the bench, idly pulling his scroll out to browse the CCT Net while he waited between showcasings. Summer made sure to check herself out in the mirror with each, taking the points that Qrow brought up into consideration and trying to memorize what worked and what didn't. She obviously couldn't have him tag along on every outing like this. She'd be expected to know these things herself if Yang ever invited her out.

No matter what she came out with, Qrow reacted genuinely in one way or the other. At times, telling her that she was 'stunning' or 'cute'. Other times, he'd offer up suggestions about the other clothes she'd taken in matching better with a particular top, or a pair of pants being a size too big. Whenever that happened, he would retreat for a minute and return with another pair of the same style for her to try on, only matching her figure more closely.

By the time Summer had finished with everything she'd taken in, nearly two hours had passed, and the bench in the dressing room was stacked high with clothes that had passed the test. Summer was extremely thankful that Qrow had seen fit to bring her there of all places. Currently admiring herself in a blue tank top, she could feel her confidence once again soaring to new heights.

Summer stepped out, modeling the last piece. Despite how long they'd been at it, Qrow remained attentive. He smiled when she stepped out and nodded, giving her a thumbs up, "Looks good, kid. I bet that top would go really nice with the shorts you had on a little bit ago."

"Thanks!" Summer darted back into the dressing room with a happy smile and went about changing into her combat outfit. She separated out the clothes she'd tried on, stacking them in piles of tank tops, short sleeves, long sleeves, pants, shorts, leggings, skirts… Summer stepped back to admire the array before her.

' _Great! I should be all set. Only thing I'm missing is… is…_ ' even with her newfound confidence, Summer could feel her face growing heated. She shuffled uncomfortably, realizing what else it was she needed to buy.

' _I mean… he's been good so far… could I…?_ ' even the thought of bringing up what was missing to Qrow left her wanting to fan herself with her hand. She didn't even want him thinking about that sort of thing as far as she was concerned, but… ' _I can't get by when all I have is what I'm wearing now…_ '

Summer took a few deep breaths, and peeked her head out of the dressing room slowly. Qrow looked up to see her reddened face with a curious frown, eyebrow raising in an unasked question. Summer kept her hands on the door, clutching it close to herself and keeping the majority of her body hidden.

"Umm… I'm all set, pretty much… There's just… a few more things I need to get…"

"What do you need?" Qrow took in her demeanor and stood, looking around the store, "I could go grab it for you?"

Summer's face grew white hot and she stammered out, "N-no no no! I need, um…" her eyes drifted off to the section that held all of the undergarments, many casual pairs of socks, bras, and panties mixed in with the more risque lingerie. Just imagining Qrow seeing her _near_ anything so frilly made her want to shrivel up and die.

Qrow followed her eyes and caught on to what she meant, his cheeks growing heated, if nowhere near Summer's, " _Oh_ ," he coughed into his hand, turning back, "Well, I uh, could wait outside the store until you're done?"

"That, um… that would be nice," Summer agreed readily, not quite able to meet his gaze.

Qrow pulled out his scroll, "Well, I'll give you my number. You can text me once everything is bagged up at checkout and I'll come back in to pay." He stood expectantly, waiting for Summer to pull out her own scroll and follow through on the suggestion.

She looked down to the floor, embarrassed for a different reason, and kicked her foot across the tiles, "I… don't have one."

"Don't have one? One what?" Qrow asked, thoroughly confused.

"A, uh… a scroll…"

"Ah," Qrow laughed lightly, slipping his scroll back into his pocket. His eyes caught on to her watch, "Well, do you think you could be done and ready to check out in thirty minutes?"

Summer nodded.

"Alrighty then. I'll be back!" Qrow gave a brief two finger wave and walked out of the store, leaving Summer to the task she needed to complete.

With a sigh of relief now that he'd left, Summer stepped over to the underwear section and browsed through until she'd found some cute things in her size. Even with her mind set on functionality instead of appearance, she couldn't help but gravitate towards the ones that stood out to her the most. Once she'd gathered up a decently sized armload, she retreated back into the dressing room and went about trying them on, piece by piece.

After twenty minutes had passed, Summer began to wrap up what she was doing. She changed back into the clothes she'd walked into the store with and, realizing the sheer bulk of the items gathered, ran to fetch a cart before bringing the mass of clothes to the front counter.

The cashier smiled while Summer began setting the items down on the counter. Each piece was scanned and then put into opaque bags with the store's logo branded across the front, a fact that Summer was supremely thankful for. She put the underwear and bras up first, wanting to make sure that Qrow didn't walk back in ahead of time and ruin the entire point of him stepping out in the first place.

Once the cashier was nearing the end of Summer's large assortment of items, Qrow did indeed return. He stepped inside, eyes falling on Summer's with a grin and hands holding a small wrapped package. Her eyebrows raised slightly, but figured she'd discover what it held in due time.

Qrow was right on schedule. The cashier finished ringing up the final items when he wound his way over to the counter. She continued to smile, and swiveled the small screen so that Summer could see the total, "That'll be 1,382 lien. Would you like to pay with a card, or credit?"

"Ah, aheh," Qrow dug into his pocket and pulled out his wallet before setting the necessary lien down on the counter. It had lost a large portion of its density by the time he returned it back to his pocket. Summer shifted uncomfortably. She couldn't help but feel like a beggar, especially after convincing him that she was his daughter instead of what she actually was… his grand niece…

' _Would he have done it anyway if he'd known…?_ ' Watching Qrow and seeing the way he shrugged off the price with a small chuckle after the fact, Summer couldn't help but believe that he would have. Maybe it was wishful thinking, but… ' _Qrow cares about his family…_ ' So what if she wasn't _exactly_ who he thought she was? Either way, they _were_ still family.

No matter how fiercely she repeated it, that didn't help to relieve the sinking feeling in her heart, though.

Summer made sure to grab the bags that held her undergarments in them, while Qrow grabbed up several with other assorted clothing. They walked back out into the warm midday air, Summer with a droop in her shoulders, and Qrow with a small skip to his step.

After a few dozen feet, Summer slowed down, eyes glued to the pavement and feeling terrible for what she'd done. Qrow slowed as well a moment later, a curious frown raised in her direction.

"What's up, kid. You forget something?"

" _I'm sorry…_ " Summer's voice came out in a whisper, far too quiet for Qrow to hear overtop the bustling street around them. He walked back a step and leaned in closer, a look of concern dominating his features.

"You alright?"

Summer gathered her strength and spoke louder, if still with a hitch to her voice, "I-I'm sorry, Qrow. I didn't mean to make you spend so much…"

A pair of eyebrows shot up Qrow's forehead, and he shook his head ruefully, "Don't mention it. I figure I owe you after all these years anyway. What's a couple thousand in comparison?"

"A couple thousand…?" Summer frowned, reminded of the package he'd returned to the store with.

Qrow grinned and set down the bags he was carrying to pull out the small wrapped package once more. Summer followed suit as he held it out to her, waiting expectantly for her to open it. With a hesitant glance up to his face, Summer complied. Her fingers slowly stripped away the brightly colored paper exterior, pulling it off to reveal a sleek box beneath.

'Scroll, Model S4' was written across the top of the white box, a lot of other, smaller text along with it that gave the scroll's specifications. Summer didn't understand much, but by comparing it to the one she'd seen Qrow with before, she could only surmise that this was a newer model.

"Qrow, I…" Summer's hands shook slightly, tears threatening to brim at the corner of her eyes. She held it out to him, looking away ashamedly, "I can't accept this."

"Why not? You need a scroll, kid. Can't really get by these days without one. I already had them load my number into it, along with Tai's, Ruby's, and Yang's. This way you can hit me up if you need anything. I promise to do what I can. My way of making up for missing so much of your life, ya know?"

"I just…" Summer tried to piece together her mixed feelings, and forced herself to look him in the eye, "I don't want you to feel like you have to buy me things to win over my affection… I… I didn't search for you so that I could extort you… I want to spend time with you, get to know you… Same with Tai, and my cousins…" her eyes fell down to the box in her hands, "This just feels like… like I'm taking advantage of you…"

Qrow stepped forward and placed a hand on her shoulder, smiling warmly, "I know, kid. I could tell right off the bat that you were a good egg. If you didn't need it, you wouldn't have even asked me for the clothes in the first place. I'm buying you this stuff because I _want_ to. What father _wouldn't_ want to make his kid happy, or help her out in a time of need? ...Not one _I'd_ ever want to be."

Summer slowly clutched the box to her chest, feeling the heartache beginning to ease with Qrow's kind words. She brought a hand up to wipe the moisture from her eyes and smiled, "Thanks."

"My pleasure," Qrow laughed, then poked the box, "Now open it up. I want to make sure it works before I send you off to Beacon."

Summer complied, sliding the top of the box off to reveal a sleek scroll held within. She carefully pulled it out and looked it over, uncertain of how exactly to use one. Thinking back to what she'd seen Qrow do in his call to Ozpin, she grabbed either side and pulled, grinning as it opened with a satisfying 'click!'

The screen glowed to life, displaying a home screen with a default background and several icons across the front. Summer's eyes searched through them, finally pressing the 'contacts' button when she found it. The list appeared immediately, only four names ready to be shown. Summer pressed down on Qrow's, and smiled when his scroll buzzed to life.

Qrow accepted the call and pivoted to catch himself and Summer in the video that appeared on her screen. She quickly followed suit, raising her own while turning around so that they'd each be in the backgrounds of each other's displays.

"Well, looks like it works, eh?" Qrow grinned and gave her a wink before ending the call, turning back around while pocketing his scroll. The video feed went out on her end, returning her to the homescreen. Qrow then leaned over her shoulder to point out a few of the icons, "That's the app store. You can find useful applications or games there. I preloaded your account with a hundred lien, so feel free to try out a few things if you'd like," he continued on, showing her how to take videos, screenshots, or pictures, how to navigate her settings and preferences; everything she'd need to know in order to use her new scroll to the fullest.

Summer tried to remember all she could, and was glad once the extensive lesson was over. She resolved herself to going back through once she had some free time and getting more acquainted with it. The scroll itself would definitely prove useful for a variety of reasons, most of which involving ease of contact.

' _I'll probably want to turn it off whenever I pop back in time, though. Who knows what would happen if someone tried to call me? Which would end up going through? Both?_ ' Summer wasn't too keen on finding that one out. It would be a great way to give herself away if things went wrong.

"Thanks again, Qrow," Summer spoke up as they started walking, the scroll going into her back pocket and the clothing bags once more draped over her arms.

"Don't mention it. Just make sure you don't get too busy at Beacon, eh? Keep in touch!"

"Will do," Summer promised happily, then raised her eyes to the streets around them, "Where to next?"

"Beacon, unless you want to carry your new underwear all over town~?" Qrow smirked, words eliciting the response he'd been hoping for when Summer blushed, "Didn't think so. We'll get you topside, drop your things off in your dorm, then probably go talk to Oz so he can get you signed up properly," he eyed her sideways, "And if you want… I could introduce you to Ruby and Yang…?"

"Um…" Summer balked internally. Meeting both Tai and Qrow had already used up a lot of what she'd decided to term her 'social energy' for the day, ' _And seeing mom again…'_ the flash of memories that crossed Summer's vision decided it for her. She shook her head roughly, "N-no. Not today. I'll try and meet them on my own time…"

"Alright, however you wanna do it, kid," Qrow agreed easily.

The two of them walked together for a time. Qrow told her more about Beacon, filling her in on who her teachers would be, what classes they taught, and what a general day would be like for her at the school.

"I'm not sure what Oz plans on doing about your lack of a team. Might be easiest to pair you up with Yang's whenever they have to go out on missions, but that'll be up to him," he frowned, "I'm pretty sure the Vytal Tournament is supposed to take place in Beacon later this year. I guess you won't be able to sign up for that either, but it's fun to watch anyway."

Summer was all too familiar with the events that were supposed to transpire during the Vytal Tournament. 'Fun' wasn't exactly the word she'd use. _But_ with a little luck, and a whole lot of skill and planning, Summer hoped to prevent anything bad from happening by then. If Cinder Fall could be stopped before everything got out of hand, then Summer could potentially save many lives, including Amber and Pyrrha Nikos.

' _Once that's done with…_ ' the future would become much more difficult to navigate. Once fate had been twisted so drastically, only the indisputable facts of the future would remain, such as where the relics were, among other things.

' _Getting Raven to work with us will be crucial…_ ' The Relic of Knowledge would remain locked in its vault at Haven until the bandit leader saw fit to help obtain it. Summer needed it above all others. Even with many years of knowledge into the future, the question of how to actually defeat Salem remained a mystery. Summer's only hope was to figure out a way while preventing the Grimm Queen's progress towards global domination. Once she'd achieved that… well… ' _I'll end up back here, older, and with more experience, but… my plans would have to change completely._ '

Summer was pulled from her thoughts as they arrived at the large tarmac that made up the bullhead docks. Black pavement stretched out into the distance, a multitude of ships both parked and in flight, roaring up into the sky or landing gracefully on the ground below. Summer's eyes caught on to the Vale insignia, widely displayed across many of the ships within sight, their exteriors painted in a sleek silver and green design.

Qrow led Summer over to one of the bullheads and climbed the ramp inside, her following suit. He sat down in one of the chairs lining the wall and set aside the bags he'd been carrying. Summer did the same, careful to make sure hers remained shut, otherwise he might see what she didn't want anyone but herself to.

After a few more passengers had joined them, older students by the looks of things, the bullhead lifted off with a stomach wrenching lurch. Summer groaned and dropped a hand down to clutch her belly, feeling nausea immediately beginning to swell. She glanced over to Qrow, who had noticed her obvious discomfort, "I don't..." she struggled to hold back a sickening feeling in her throat, "I don't feel so good…"

Qrow's eyes widened, "Have you never been on a ship before?"

"...Boats, yeah. I've never flown until now…"

"Shit," Qrow admonished quietly, eyes scouring the cabin. They fell on something in the distance and he quickly rushed off, returning with a small trash can to place in front of her, "Try to hold it in, but if you need to… I hope your aim isn't half bad."

"My aim is…" Summer gulped back the sudden urge to hurl, "fine, thank you very… much."

"Whatever you say kid, just don't get any on my shoes~"

"Ugh," Summer dropped her head into her hands, leaning forward with elbows on knees. Curling up helped to hold her insides in place, and with a little experimentation, she managed to quell the roiling in her stomach by flexing her stomach muscles. It didn't stop the urge entirely, nor the nausea, but by the time the bullhead touched down on top of Beacon's cliff, Summer had yet to give in to her body's demands.

Summer carefully stood once the bullhead had stopped completely, feeling her legs wobble slightly, but otherwise she was alright.

"Good job, kid. You made it."

Qrow patted her on the back.

Summer didn't aim well enough.

* * *

Qrow led the pair of them to a small alcove in the building that housed the first year's classes and dorms. On either side was a door into opposite bathrooms, and Summer didn't waste any time in setting her bags of clothes down before entering. She went straight to the sink and leaned against it, staring at herself in the mirror while her face was flushed with embarrassment.

' _He just had to pull the pin. I was fine, holding it in, totally defused. Then one slap on the back later…_ ' she sighed and looked down at herself, glad to see that the only clothing that had been harmed in the process were Qrow's shoes. He was undoubtedly busily washing them off in the opposite room at that exact moment, angry at himself for being so foolish.

Summer wet a paper towel and began wiping her mouth off, only mildly surprised when she heard a flushing noise from one of the stalls. The door creaked open, and light footsteps approached her from just out of sight. Summer quickened her pace, reluctant to let anyone else know what had happened. The last thing she wanted to be known by was 'vomit girl'.

A slightly older girl came into view, a pair of long rabbit ears drooping overtop her head and swaying from side to side as she peeked around the corner. Her eyes fell on Summer, and she gave a nervous smile before stepping up to the sink next to her. Summer returned the smile briefly and busied herself with washing her hands off as well, if only to be doubly sure that no evidence remained.

The girl next to her flicked her eyes over a couple times, and Summer heard a slight intake of breath before she spoke, almost as if she was extremely nervous, "Hi, my name's Velvet. Are you a, um… first year?"

"Y-yup," Summer nodded firmly. She recognized the name, if only vaguely. ' _A member of team… Coffee…? I think?_ ' "Are you a sophomore here?"

"I am!" Velvet agreed a bit too excitedly, then frowned in the mirror as if admonishing herself before turning back, "How was initiation?"

"Oh, um…" Summer dried her hands off, then gave a small shrug while turning to the other girl fully, "I didn't do that, actually. I'm kind of a uh, late entry."

"Really?" Velvet paused in confusion, "So like, you won't have a team?"

"Yeah. My cousins both ended up on a team together though, so I'll probably end up taking missions with them."

"Won't that be lonely?"

Summer stopped as she'd been about to turn around, caught off guard by the question, then turned back to lean her hip against the sink, raising a hand to her chin in thought, "I suppose it might be… I'll just have to deal with the hand I was dealt, I guess. There isn't much choice in the matter."

Velvet raised a hand, idly twisting it in one of her long brown locks of hair, "Well, um… best of luck. I hope everything works out for you."

"Thanks, Velvet," Summer held a hand out in greeting, and the faunus girl shyly accepted it, "My name is S-... Eve, by the way. Guess we'll see each other around?"

Velvet grinned slightly, "S-see ya!" and retreated from the bathroom, leaving Summer alone. She breathed out a pent up sigh, but was glad to realize that she hadn't been too anxious around the other girl. Her quiet and unthreatening demeanor likely had a hand in that, allowing Summer to remain more calm than usual.

Summer exited the bathroom and found Qrow already waiting outside, his hand preoccupied with a scroll. He turned to see her as the door swung shut and winked, "Came out easily enough. I just got done talking with Oz. Your room should be up on the top floor, near the end of the hall," he double checked his messages, "Room 108."

"Sounds good to me," Summer replied excitedly. She gathered up her bags and waited for Qrow to do the same before they both set off, climbing up several flights of stairs until they'd reached the highest floor of the building.

Qrow glanced at the sign that marked room numbers before turning off to the left and leading Summer along behind him. Soft steps sounded out against the carpeted interior as the two of them made their way down the hall. They were just about nearing the end when Qrow abruptly stopped, nodding his chin to the door nearby.

"I gave Oz your scroll number so he could add you to the system. All you've gotta do is wave it past the door and it should unlock for you. Go ahead and give it a try."

Summer set down one of her armloads to do as he suggested, reaching into her back pocket to pull out her scroll and then proceeding to wave it in front of the door, near the knob itself. There was a light 'click!' sound that emanated from it, and after grabbing the handle, Summer was happy to find it able to swing wide open. She grabbed up the rest of her bags and pushed inside, using her foot to hold the door open for Qrow as he stepped up alongside her.

Qrow raised a hand up to the wall near the entrance and swiped a finger up along a small display. The lights bloomed on, relieving the room of all the shadows that had been present with the closed curtains blocking out the sun. Within was a single bed, placed near the far left corner of the room. In front of the window was a bookshelf, currently empty.

There was a fairly large dresser off to the side, a nightstand, a carpet, and a desk, complete with a comfortable looking chair and shelves placed on the walls above it. On top of the desk sat a collection of school books, along with some three ring binders and notepads. A metal cup sat on top near the corner next to a lamp, filled with an assortment of pens and pencils.

Summer walked over to the dresser and set her clothes down, followed soon enough by Qrow who deposited them next to her own. The door to the bathroom stood open, looking to be complete with a shower and a sink with a fairly spacious countertop. For curiosity's sake, Summer slid open one of the drawers and was surprised to find a Beacon uniform already held within, neatly cleaned and folded.

"Well, it's certainly nicer than my room back at the cabin," Qrow complimented, giving the place a look, "Seems like Oz didn't have any rooms for a single so he set you up with a full dorm, minus the other beds and things you won't need since its just you," he shook his head ruefully, "Man, what I wouldn't have given to get my own space like this back in my Beacon days…"

Summer's brow knit together in surprise, "You didn't like your team?"

Qrow chuckled, waving his hand dismissively, "I didn't like coming back from training to find a sock on the door."

"A sock…?" Summer's confusion had only deepened.

"Uh, heh, nevermind," Qrow scratched the back of his neck before gesturing to the door in an attempt to steer the conversation away from whatever he'd been talking about, "Might as well go meet up with Oz. It's gonna be getting late here pretty soon, and I'm sure you'd rather get settled in before classes start tomorrow."

"That would be nice. Plenty of stuff to put away…" Summer nudged one of the bags so that the top was closed more securely, then shooed Qrow towards the door, "Let's not keep the headmaster waiting too long."

Qrow led the way back out into the hall. Summer let the door close behind herself, and was glad to hear it lock automatically. She certainly didn't want anyone walking in on her when she was about to use her semblance, let alone walking in when there might be _two_ of her.

She shook her left wrist slightly, feeling the weight of her watch on it. Ultimately, the unlocking feature of her scroll should prove useless unless she was being observed. Summer and her mother had long since programmed the watch to act as an all around pass key for Beacon. The wizard's incarnation from her own time had given them the details on how to do it, and they'd made sure to make great use of it during their scavenging raids of the desolate school grounds.

' _I'll test it later, just to be safe._ '

They returned back down to the ground floor and exited the building. Qrow turned to the right down the cobbled path and led her towards the large tower in the center of campus. Beacon tower, or the CCT… It was the first time that Summer was able to see it fully intact. The topmost reaches of the tower glowed with a greenish ambience, clock pieces barely visible within the interior from so far down below.

Some students, both older and Summer's age were out and about. Her eyes roamed warily across those that she could see, but thankfully it appeared that team RWBY was nowhere to be seen. Summer moved up to walk beside Qrow, and the two made short work of the walk to the tower.

The inside of the tower was well lit, with a few guards stationed here and there. They mostly kept a casual eye out, seeming more like first responders than actual security that would thoroughly check everyone coming in and out of the building. Summer was glad for that much at least, seeing as some of her plans might involve the tower itself, depending on how events unfolded.

Summer stepped into the elevator with Qrow, watching as he retrieved his scroll once more. He waved it past the large display, and the doors dinged closed. He cleared his throat for a moment, then said in as smooth a tone as he could muster, "Top floor, Headmaster's office."

' _Bing!_ ' a feminine, robotic voice responding to him automatically, " _Top floor, Headmaster's office. Please wait while the Hea- Request accepted._ "

Summer raised an eyebrow, and Qrow shrugged, "Getting up top requires twofold authorization. Unless you're Oz, then you'll never get up to the top floor without someone already there to hit accept."

' _Or if you have his authorization code…_ ' Summer nodded with a small smirk, "Makes sense. Wouldn't want just anyone hacking in and changing their _grades_."

Qrow laughed at the remark, but didn't bother to confess any of the secrets that revolved around the tower's elevator. Really, if you knew the correct code you could also go down, beneath the first level of the CCT. Below was where Amber was being kept, struggling on life support and unable to wake long enough to help identify her attackers. She would remain that way until either she, or Cinder, died.

The elevator finished its ascent, doors opening wide to reveal a mostly circular chamber. Enormous metal clock pieces hung above, twisting in place in a manner that would outright confuse the eye if you attempted to follow along with it. Summer knew the gears were required to be intact in order to gain access to the Relic of Choice. Unlike the other vaults, the door to Beacon's relic didn't exist until certain steps took place.

"Welcome, Qrow, Eve. I'm glad you could make it. I trust your time spent in Vale went as well as could be expected?"

"Heh, _better_ I'd say," Qrow reached into his coat pocket to retrieve his flask and took a swig off it, "Been a pretty good day, up until someone couldn't hold their lunch in."

Summer glowered, "Up until someone knocked it out of me, you mean."

Qrow laughed, "Maybe~", before moving to stand on Ozpin's left side. Summer followed along up until she reached the desk, then sat in one of the chairs after the headmaster gestured to it.

"So, Miss Branwen. Why don't you tell me a little about yourself...? For instance, why do you want to be a huntress?"

Summer sat up straight and took a calming breath, "Why do I want to be a huntress? It's pretty simple, really… There are a lot of people in the world that can't defend themselves from all the creatures that go bump in the night. I… I want to be there for them, to be the blade they can't wield, the shield that defends them… I want to save as many people as I can, and becoming a huntress is the best path towards that goal."

"Well answered," Ozpin nodded his approval, then steepled his hands together, "Up until now, you've been living in Mistral. Is that correct?"

"Yes."

"Could you tell me a little about your experiences there? Friends, family, the like?"

Summer frowned, "I didn't have any family. From what I understand of it, my mother barely managed to make it into the city before she gave birth to me. She'd been forced to travel pretty far in order to escape the Grimm, and once it came time… she didn't live through it."

"...I'm sorry for your loss," Ozpin gave her a consoling smile, "Have you trained extensively in order to combat the creatures of Grimm? I shouldn't need to tell you how very dangerous they can be."

' _In the future they are_ ,' Summer nodded once again, "I've trained a lot, yeah. Mistral can be a tough place, especially when you have no one," she pulled the shortsword from her back and set it on the desk lightly, followed by her energy pistol, "These are my weapons of choice…"

"Interesting…" Ozpin picked up the pistol in particular, eyes scanning over it to determine its exact functions, "Did you build these yourself?"

"Yeah. It took a long time to figure out how to make my gun, but I'm happy with the results," she scratched her cheek with some mild embarrassment, "Neither of them transform or anything… I was never really good with moving parts like that."

Ozpin chuckled and set the pistol back down, pushing it back across along with her shortsword, "They appear to be in fine working condition. How about your studies? Have you kept up with what would be considered at least an average level of school work?"

Summer let out a small laugh, thinking back to the hours and hours spent in preparation for her time in Beacon. Her mother had forced her to memorize everything that she herself knew, meaning that Summer was well and truly ahead in classes, if anything. They had also managed to scavenge plenty of books from what was left of the different schools, both from Signal on Patch and the schools in Vale.

"I've kept up, yeah. I shouldn't have any problems with schoolwork, if that's what you're worried about."

"You sound confident."

Summer shrugged, "I know what I know."

Ozpin smiled, then stood to hold out a hand. Summer accepted it, shaking with barely suppressed enthusiasm, "Well, I see no reason not to allow your entry into Beacon, Miss Branwen. Classes begin tomorrow morning at eight. Is there anything else you need in order for us to accomodate you?"

Summer thought on it for a moment, then shook her head, "No, the room was pretty well furnished and everything. Thank you, Headmaster. You won't regret this."

"I'm glad to hear it. Welcome to Beacon, Miss Branwen," he glanced momentarily to Qrow off to his side, an apologetic smile on his face, "Now, if you don't mind, I have some business to attend to with Qrow. Can you find your way back to the dorm on your own?"

Summer stood and gave a polite nod, "I should be able to manage," she glanced over to Qrow, "I'll message you tomorrow, then?"

Qrow beamed, "Sure thing, kid. You've got my number."

Summer tapped the scroll in her pocket, "Can't forget it~ Good luck, you two."

They both reciprocated the sentiment. Summer stepped into the elevator and gave a small smile as the doors closed, locking her away from view. She was careful to keep her expression controlled on the way down, aware that Ozpin had hidden cameras set up in the elevator itself to check on whoever was requesting entry into his office.

Once the elevator had finished its descent, Summer skipped out happily and began making her way back to the dorm. She couldn't help but stare at all the buildings nearby, and bask in the euphoria of having her dreams come true.

' _I'm here! Finally!_ '

Summer had been waiting for this moment nearly her entire life, or that's at least how it felt to her.

She hummed happily to herself.

' _Welcome to Beacon~_ '


	5. First Contact

' _Today's the day~!_ ' Summer hummed happily, standing in front of her mirror and adjusting the cuffs of her uniform. She looked herself in the eye and smiled before noticing that her jacket was askew. She fretted with it, pulling down and across, back to the side and up, seeking to have it rest perfectly.

Summer gave up with a huff after a few moments, realizing she was being ridiculous. Any slight shifting in either direction simply ruffled the clothing again, ruining the perfection she was trying to maintain.

' _You're just nervous…_ ' a voice whispered in the back of her head. Summer ignored it readily, choosing to instead give herself another once over and pat her clothes down until they were as smooth as possible.

So what if she'd been up for three hours already? Who sleeps in on their first day of Beacon!?

Summer's excitement dulled slightly, indecision eating away at her. Her hand went up to the side of her neck with a sigh, finger tracing lightly along the wings of the small bird tattoo that peeked out from beneath her collar. Made entirely out of black Grimm's blood, the bird in flight had one prominent eye made to look almost like a pearl, it's center the source of the magic that had been contained within. She had asked Hazel why he'd chosen that symbol as the one that would stand for Sanctuary. The large man had merely replied, ' _It reminds me of someone I was supposed to protect_.'

Further questions directed at the wizard had revealed the existence of Hazel's sister, her death the reason he'd joined Salem's faction in the first place. Ozwin admitted to his own ignorance, not knowing the specifics of the tattoo either. He'd firmly believed that it had to do with his sister though, and that there was no chance that his past self would be capable of recognizing it.

Summer had considered buying cover up in order to hide the tattoo anyway, sure that its existence was bound to draw unwanted attention, but even Qrow had been hesitant to remark on it. If asked, she would pretend that it was a personal symbol of her own, meant to remind her of her own goals. In reality…

Summer sighed and let her hand fall away, intent on ignoring the tattoo for the time being. ' _Maybe there's a way to remove it these days?_ ' She decided not to hold her breath. It was a byproduct of magic, and as far as she'd seen, things like that tended to stick around one way or another.

The alarm she had set on her scroll went off, shocking her out of her brief reverie. Summer slipped her hand into the pocket and pulled out the offending device, struggling with it for a moment before managing to shut the alarm off. She shook her head with a sigh, knowing that her nerves were simply getting the better of her.

Summer returned the scroll to her pocket and took one final look at herself in the mirror. With a fierce nod, she left the bathroom and gathered up her notebook and school books, along with a small binder and some pens that were then neatly tucked away. She breathed out heavily, hand on the door, and gathered her courage to step out into the hall.

Summer paused and stood there, listening towards where she knew both team RWBY and JNPR were located. Aside from their three rooms, there was another door directly across from her own that led into a partial living room and kitchen that the teams were meant to share. Luckily, or perhaps by design from Oz himself, only their three teams had been placed in that hall.

The sound of something heavy scraping across the floor caught Summer's ear, and she frowned, listening more closely. It sounded like it was coming from her mother's dorm. She pondered on it for a few seconds, then remembered the story about her first day at Beacon, and how they had rearranged the beds.

Summer had stopped there once or twice during their time scavenging the school. She could recall how one bed was held up by ropes nailed into the ceiling, while the other was supported by vicariously placed books. Her mother had preferred not to return to it, only doing so a single time in order to show Summer where it was.

With a quick glance to her watch, Summer turned and headed downstairs. She was well ahead of schedule when it came to classes, but also wanted to spend a little time exploring the building now that it had returned to its former glory. She'd gotten a look around some of the halls the day prior, but with her mounting trepidation of running into those she was supposed to help… She simply hadn't been ready.

So instead, Summer basked in the freshness of it all. The paint was no longer flaking, nor marred by scorch marks or stained in blood, human and Grimm alike. Many of the colors consisted of greens and silvers, a favorite of the wizard's. The colors themselves were present in everything, from the silver trim along the bottom edges of the walls, or the swirling green patterns across the vaulted ceilings.

Here and there, Summer spotted other students. Many were tiredly rubbing sleep from their eyes, on their way to the cafeteria or on their way back from it, appearing much more refreshed. All of them were first years, the second years having cleared out whatever remained in their dorms the day prior to move into their new ones in another building on campus.

Each years' dorms became progressively more luxurious, up until you were given whatever sleeping arrangements you desired in your final year. Whether that was to remain with four in a room, or if you wished to split off in a different configuration was purely up to you. Summer had spent a lot of time in Beacon, imagining being back in its heyday, and knowing once she'd unlocked her semblance that her chance _would_ come. It was only a matter of time, as all things were.

Summer was nearing one of the corners in the hall when another figure abruptly stepped around it. With her mind on other things, she didn't have the chance to react in time. The folders and books in her hands scattered every which way, smaller body colliding with a taller, barrel chested boy that stoically didn't budge, only stopping in place to look down at her when she fell.

Summer landed on her backside, a small huff of air escaping her lungs while her hands stopped her from fully splaying out, "S-Sorry!" she rubbed a hand across her tailbone and looked up, instantly freezing at the glare being level at her by the boy she'd run into.

"You'd _better_ be sorry," the tall boy replied sternly, frowning down at her. Summer didn't even notice the other boy's that were with him until she caught the sound of them openly snickering behind him.

"Uh-umm, yeah. Won't happen again," Summer put her head down and started gathering her things back up, hoping the boys would choose to just leave her alone so that she could get to class.

The boy scoffed, and stepped on Summer's binder as he passed. She heard the metal inside snap, and he let out a small " _Oops_ ," before continuing on past. The other boys laughed harder, stepping on her notebook as well, one going so far as to kick one of the pens that had fallen free so that it disappeared down the hallway.

Summer's hands clenched, shoulders shrinking imperceptibly as she kept her head down. The thought of telling them off flashed through her mind, but the newly discovered side of her quivered in response, causing her to freeze in place and simply wait for them to leave instead. Once their footsteps and laughs had receded down the hall, she slowly began gathering her things back up again.

' _So, that's a bully…_ '

Going off her mother's stories, Summer could only assume that had been team Cardinal, led by Cardin Winchester. The memories came flooding back, and she was instantly reminded of the fact that her father had been picked on by those same boys, their leader in particular giving him a fair amount of grief. Anger replaced the fear she felt, but at the idea of actually confronting them… her courage deflated.

Summer was sure she could likely beat any other first year in a fight. The future was _far_ too brutal in comparison to the niceties of the past, and she had been trained by her mother for years, an 'S' tier Huntress that hadn't spared her daughter a drop of sweat, nor a mile ran. Summer had long since been conditioned to take whatever the world threw at her, and send it right back a hundred fold.

Yet for some reason she couldn't quite understand, the idea of confronting the boy made her want to curl back up in bed and hide away from the world.

With a sigh, Summer decided to let it go for now. She finished picking up her books and checked the damage that had been done to the binder. The inside loop was snapped, making the binder itself useless. She tossed it in a nearby trashcan and then searched for her missing pen, finally finding it after a few minutes. It had somehow managed to tuck it's way into the gap beneath a door down the hall.

Summer slipped the pen into her notebook's metal spine and checked the time on her watch. With a start, she realized that there were only a few minutes remaining before class would begin. Summer's eyes darted up, taking a moment to figure out exactly where she was so that she would know where to go. She pulled her remaining books closer to her chest and sprinted through the halls, intent on not being late for the first class on her first day of Beacon.

* * *

Ruby yelled, "This way!" over her shoulder as she darted through the building, hearing the pounding of her team's footsteps behind her. JNPR followed on their heels, both teams having stayed too late in their dorms for reasons of their own.

The door to the class stood open, a large, burly professor in a red coat with thick grey eyebrows giving an amused chuckle at the sight of them rounding the corner. Ruby increased her speed for the last half dozen yards, leaving a sudden trail of red petals to scatter through the air and slowly drift to the floor beneath the feet of those that followed.

Ruby came to a screeching halt in front of the professor, flashed a smile, and peeked over her shoulder for a moment before heading into the classroom. It looked like the entire first year had already assembled, the eight other teams aside from RWBY and JNPR spread out across a series of raised platforms complete with elongated desks.

Noticing an open spot along the front row, Ruby made her way there and took up the place nearest the far end, allowing the rest of both teams enough space once they filtered into the classroom behind her. Weiss took up the spot nearest her, with Yang and Blake scooting in shortly after.

Ruby's eyes roamed across the room, spotting fake Grimm parts mounted to the walls and diagrams of them drawn in chalk on the blackboard. A cage sat off to the far left, bars ominously blacked out so that she couldn't quite see inside to discover what it might hold. All in all, the class itself appeared promising, and Ruby practically bounced in her seat waiting to begin.

The Professor remained standing at the door. He looked over the students that were present and frowned, then peeked back out the door. He backpedaled almost immediately, a raven haired girl rushing in past him with a choked out "Sorry!" The girl's eyes widened, gaze traveling across the other gathered students before falling on an open space.

Ruby tilted her head curiously, wondering where the rest of the girl's team was. She headed up the stairs to an empty row, tucked back in the upper corner of the classroom, and sat by her lonesome. The girl took a moment to place her things down on the table, then raised her eyes to sweep across the class.

When her eyes met Ruby's, the girl visibly froze for a few seconds, locked in place. Ruby smiled timidly and raised a hand in greeting, only for the girl to turn away sharply and pretend to busy herself with the notebook in front of her.

"Pay attention," Weiss demanded quietly, drawing Ruby's eyes off the girl and back to the class that was about to begin.

* * *

It… it _hurt_.

That small smile, the little wave of her hand, the silver eyes gazing into hers...

Summer managed to choke back the tears that threatened to fall. Seeing her mother again, even a version that was so much younger, caused her memories to come rushing back. She couldn't help but picture that young girl, the juvenile Ruby Rose, being turned to ash with a wave of Salem's hand. Her gut wrenched at the thought, and she shut her eyes tightly for a few seconds to try and banish it.

Once the professor began his lecture, his bombastic voice managed to wash away the images plaguing Summer's mind. She focused in on the tale he spun, instead picturing the woods he was in, the howls of the beowolves, the thunderclap like boom of his blunderbuss. It was her saving grace, and she relished every second of it.

Unfortunately, none of the snippets of information that Professor Port strung along within his story were new to her. Summer had long since learned everything the school had to teach, either through homeschooling from her own mother, or by reading many of the books that had been available in the abandoned Beacon library.

Perhaps because of this, Summer was able to pay attention to the story itself, and still found plenty of enjoyment in it. In her own time, they hadn't had much lightning dust to power utilities. Summer had gotten by with reading, or by her mother regaling her with stories of past exploits. Sitting in the class as she was, Port's 'lecture' was mildly reminiscent of that. She closed her eyes and sat back in her chair, enjoying the story for what it was.

The lecture continued for nearly an hour, and by the end of it, the Professor was beginning to loudly proclaim some of the traits he considered integral for huntsmen and huntresses. Summer could only smile slightly and nod agreement, eyes still closed.

"Now, are there any among you that believe yourself the embodiment of-"

Summer's concentration was pulled away as something small hit her on the forehead. Instinctively, she raised her hand to ward off whatever might follow after it and opened her eyes once more. Sitting on the desk in front of her was a paper ball, its crumpled sides taped down to give it a small increase in weight and aerodynamics.

A few muffled chuckles alerted her to the culprits, the large boy and his friends hiding their laughter behind their hands. Summer avoided looking at them and was beginning to lower her hand when the loud voice of the teacher carried all the way up to her.

"Ah, wonderful! Come on down and face your fears!"

Summer looked down to the floor below and saw the teacher's eyes fixated on her. She paused, looked to her hand that was still partially raised, then back to the teacher. Summer's face began to heat as many of the students in class turned to look at her expectantly. The boys laughed once more, seeing the fruits of their labor taking effect.

' _I… I can't say 'no', can I?_ '

Standing with a shiver due to all the eyes fixated on her, Summer made her way down the stairs until she was standing in front of the teacher. He gave her an encouraging smile, then looked down at his clipboard.

"Miss Branwen, is it?"

"Eh-m… y-yep! That's me…!" Summer heard a sharp intake of breath from her left, and didn't need to check to know that it was Yang that had made it. Summer ignored her reaction as best she could, pretending to not have noticed, and glanced past the teacher's side, "S-should I uh… go get my weapon?"

"But of course!" Professor Port laughed with a hand against his rotund belly, "Unless you believe you could take on a Grimm with only your hands!"

' _Well I could…_ ' Summer _had_ learned how to expel her aura through her body, a trick that her mother had eventually learned from Ren. With her legs shaking under the eyes of so many students though, Summer knew that she wouldn't have the focus required for it. She excused herself with a few muttered words and turned to leave.

Summer had made it only a few steps when she heard the Professor speak once more, "Yes, Miss Xiao Long?"

"Can I go to the bathroom?"

Summer's heart stopped, while her footsteps quickened.

"I don't know, _can_ you?" Port laughed once more, "You may. Be sure you return before the demonstration!"

"Oh, _that_ won't be a problem…" Yang muttered dangerously.

Summer could sense where this was going, and hurried towards the door, intent on beating Yang out of it, if only by a few seconds. She ripped it open and stepped out quickly, swinging it shut behind herself before taking one glance down either side of the hall. With no one in sight, Summer looked down to her watch, and activated her semblance.

' _Nope!_ '

* * *

When Yang burst through the door and out into the hall, only _moments_ after the girl with the last name _Branwen_ , fiery eyes darted both ways in search of her quarry.

To her dismay, the girl was nowhere to be seen.

* * *

Summer peeked from around the corner, watching Yang pacing back and forth in front of the door for a few minutes before she finally gave up. Her eyes were red, the telltale sign that at that current moment in time, any sane person would do whatever they could to be as far as possible from the angry blond.

Having jumped back ten minutes in time, Summer was already dressed in her combat outfit and had only been waiting for Yang to return to the classroom before doing so herself. Now that her aunt had stepped back in, Summer stepped out of her hiding place.

She took her time walking to the door, and had to spend a few extra seconds psyching herself up before pushing it open. All eyes swiveled to her, figure now decorated by bother her combat outfit and weapons alike. Summer avoided looking towards the stands. She could feel the heat radiating off Yang, and hear the quiet, worried whispers being sent her way by Ruby.

"Brilliant!" Professor Port proclaimed, already standing with a large double sided axe resting across his shoulders. He stepped away from his desk and walked nearer to the black iron cage, hefting his ridiculous weapon in one hand, "Are you ready?"

Summer forced herself to try and ignore the muttered conversations taking place within the stands. She could hear whispers of doubt from many, and small snickers still emanating from team Cardinal. Taking a few, shuddering breaths, Summer looked Port in the eyes, pulled the energy pistol from her hip, and nodded.

' _What am I even worried about?_ '

This really wasn't even going to be a _fight_.

With a loudly proclaimed "Ha-ha!", Port brought his axe down onto the lock holding the cage's door shut. Metal crashed through metal, and the door itself was blasted off its hinges. The boarbatusk breathed heavily, beady red eyes alight with anger. The boarbatusk focused in on Summer, picking her out as its sole target, and charged.

Summer raised her energy pistol, and fired.

The boarbatusk was interrupted by a single super heated bolt of hard light dust that flashed out of the pistol's barrel, carving a wide hole through the boarbatusks skull like a hot knife through butter. The Grimm didn't even have time to shriek in pain, its form simply going limp mid stride and rolling to a stop in front of her. Steam coiled up out of the wound, the Grimm's blood itself evaporating on contact with the hard light dust. Summer sighed, and waited for the pistol to let out a high pitched whine before returning it to her hip.

Professor Port stood in silence, staring at the boarbatusk that was already beginning to dissipate into blackened ash, vanishing into thin air. His mustache quirked, and he finally got a hold of himself by clearing his throat with a quiet 'ehem!'

"Well done, Miss Branwen! Class, give her a round of applause!"

Several in the class clapped at Port's behest, a few even shouting down words of encouragement. With the Grimm dead and gone, Summer's mind immediately refocused on the people giving her far too much attention. Her nerves returned full force, and she had to gather up her courage once more to ask Port if it was alright if she left to change.

"Go right ahead! You've earned it," Port replied easily, turning back to the rest of the class while Summer turned to leave once more.

"Professor? Ca-... _May_ I go to the bathroom?" Summer heard her aunt call out while the rest of the class was beginning to settle down, waiting for Port to give his closing statement before excusing them.

"In a minute, Miss Xiao Long. Besides, didn't you _just_ go?"

Summer only had the chance to hear half of her aunt's excuse, something about it being a "Certain time of the-" before the rest was cut off by the door closing behind her.

She ran, as of yet unwilling to face whatever questions her aunt might ask her.

Feet pounding against the tiled floor beneath, she knew she wouldn't be able to avoid Yang forever.

' _But I'll be damned if I'm not going to try._ "


	6. Saving Grace

Summer hurried to the locker rooms in record time and changed back into her school uniform, ditching her combat outfit and weapon quickly before slipping back out into the hall. The bell rang only a minute after she had arrived, and she was well aware that her aunt would be headed her way as soon as possible.

Summer had only just turned the corner down the hall, in the opposite direction of where she'd come from, when she heard heated voices echoing loudly off the walls. A pair of footsteps drew near, one stomping angrily, the other fluttering about.

"Yaaaaaang! We don't know who she is! Don't make assumptions!" the high pitched voice of a much younger Ruby Rose demanded, huffing in desperation as she tried to hold her older sister back.

"I told you Rubes, I just wanna _talk_ ," Yang replied, seeming not to notice the much smaller weight fighting against her.

"Yeah, but you said it in your 'I'm gonna beat you up' voice!"

"Well…" Yang didn't even bother trying to hide it anymore. The door to the locker room was roughly ripped open by her hands, crimson eyes scanning the interior before slamming it closed once more, "She's not even _here_."

"Maybe she got changed in her room?" Ruby offered, faltering and placing her hands on her knees while breathing heavily, "Just wait until next period! We can introduce ourselves then!"

"Next period…" Summer gulped, practically hearing the gears spin in Yang's mind, "Rubes, you're a genius!"

"I-I am?"

"I can wait for her outside the next class! She can't get past me then!" Yang finished it up with a small, "Hah!" and started to leave, Ruby following in her maniacal wake while continuing to argue.

' _You're wrong about one thing, Yang. I_ _ **can**_ _get past you…_ ' Summer leaned back against the wall and sighed, sliding down it slowly to sit with her knees against her chest, ' _I'll have to be careful with my aura consumption. We still have combat class as our final period, and I've already burned through some of my aura_.'

It was only thanks to both her training, and innate aura reserves that allowed Summer to use her semblance so freely. With practice, she had managed to raise her tolerance high enough to allow five uses in a day. Unfortunately, without aura enhancers the amount that had been consumed would take an unnaturally lengthy amount of time to return, leaving her in a weakened state after only a single jump back in time. Most of her aura tended to return if she slept, but it had been known to take longer if she abused her semblance too many days in a row.

Summer realized glumly that she had left her books behind in Port's class, and was slowly beginning to pick herself up from her place on the wall when another group of people turned the corner. Summer's heart dropped in her chest, instantly recognizing the ragtag group that made up team JNPR.

Ren and Nora brought up the rear, the ginger girl excitedly talking to her life long friend about wanting to swap stories with Professor Port. Summer only knew them from photos and her mother's reminiscing, the pair long since lost to the war by the time Summer had been born.

In front of them walked Pyrrha, an adonis of strength and virtue, happily lending an ear to the mutterings of the boy next to her. Summer stared at the blond hair that bobbed with each step, her father's face obscured by the recently uncrumpled piece of paper he held in his hands. The group drew nearer, and Summer felt her legs refuse to cooperate, sinking back into place on the floor.

' _Please ignore me, please ignore me…_ '

If catching the younger Ruby's eye had such an adverse effect on her, Summer didn't want to know what meeting her father for the first time would be like.

"Oh, come on! I know it was supposed to be around here somewhere!" Jaune whined, turning the piece of paper in his hands to look at it from multiple angles, "I even matched it up with the 'you are here' sign!"

Summer drew into herself more and more as they approached, while Pyrrha smiled at Jaune and the paper he held, "I'm sure you'll find it, Jaune. Are you sure you were looking at the right symbol? There are a few on the map, after all."

"I'm totally sure, Pyrrha! We came in from the north side, followed this hallway and turned there," Jaune continued to point out the route they had taken to get to their previous class, though Summer was fairly certain she'd seen them just following team RWBY at the time.

Summer's shoulders hunched, body reflexively tensing when they neared. Jaune finished with his explanation at the same time, pulling his eyes from the page to look at Pyrrha to see what she thought. Pyrrha opened her mouth to speak, but was interrupted by Nora who had been listening in on the tail end of it.

"Why don't we ask her?" Nora's eyes looked straight to Summer where she sat on the ground, a flicker of recognition appearing after her display in the previous class, "That was some good shootin'!"

The four of them stopped, and Summer had to stop herself from using her semblance right then and there. She forced her eyes to raise, staring back at only Nora in order to avoid Jaune's gaze entirely. A trembling smile quirked the corner of her lips, "Y-you're looking for Oo-Oobleck's class?" she gave a helpless shrug, "S-sorry. It's my first day, too."

Summer had to lie. While she wasn't worried about her knowledge of the school grounds being overly suspicious as another newcomer, she did have plans on getting to the class early. If she sent them off in the right direction ahead of herself, it would be a dead giveaway that something was up when they found her future self there already.

"No biggie!" Jaune waved a hand nonchalantly in Summer's periphery, "I told you guys, I've got this!"

Summer could hear the doubt in Jaune's voice, and let out a shaky breath while trying to ignore him. She kept up her smile towards Nora instead, "S-see you later!" then managed to pull herself up. Summer's first few steps were slightly wobbly, and she used the wall to her advantage while gaining some distance.

"See you in class!" Nora cheered, already turning away to follow Jaune as he resumed his mutterings.

"Now then, if this is the hall I think it is…"

His voice faded into the distance and Summer stopped once they had vanished around the corner, letting out a shaky breath, ' _What is wrong with me!? I'm a mess!_ '

Summer shook her head and continued on, back towards Port's classroom to collect the book she'd left behind, ' _It's one thing to imagine meeting everyone, having this grand picture in my head of how we'd all get along right from the start… It's another thing entirely to actually do it._ '

A swift foray into Port's currently empty classroom resulted in her leaving with the books she'd needed in hand. Thankfully, Cardin and his teammates hadn't taken advantage of how they'd been left there unsupervised. What remained of her folders and notebooks were just how she'd left them.

Summer stopped at each corner on the way to Oobleck's class, wary of any wayward family members that might catch her off guard. For the most part, the way was clear. She did pass Blake at one point, and though the cat faunus shot her a few passing glances, neither of them acknowledged the other. Summer tried to keep her wits about her as well as she could, her mother and aunt's stories involving Blake flashing through her mind.

If there was one thing Summer was glad for, it was that Yang had never told them how Blake met her end. Considering how she had reacted to the others up until this point… Summer was certain she wouldn't want to know.

The final corner before the classroom came into view, and Summer skirted around it carefully to get an eye on the hallway. A swish of golden hair announced Yang's presence, and the way she was darting her eyes from side to side, waiting for none other than Summer herself to round the bend.

Glancing around, Summer spotted a door that she knew would lead into a supply closet. With a few quick steps and a wave of her watch past the sensor, the lock clicked and she stepped inside the small, musty room. Summer raised her watch, double checking the time and concentrating on the exact amount she wanted to go back by.

A blue glyph spun to life beneath her feet, its outside border lined with roman numerals. The hand spun in reverse, and the world itself darkened around her. With a jarring halt, the world around her returned to life. Within moments, the sound of a bell ringing could be heard echoing throughout the school grounds.

Summer unlocked the door once more and stepped out into the hallway, hearing the distant sound of footsteps as students exited classrooms. Ushered by the oncoming mass, Summer hurried quickly to the hallway that had been guarded by Yang previously, now devoid of the blond lookout. She smirked and headed into the room before moving up into the identical spot from the one she'd chosen in Port's class, tucked up out of the way from prying eyes.

' _Just to be safe…_ '

Summer placed her books and folders on the floor behind the desk, and then laid down across the seat. For one, she needed to catch her breath from jumping back in time twice in one morning. For two…

Within a few minutes, the door banged open suddenly and Summer could hear Ruby's voice calling out to her sister still in the hall, "Nope, isn't here yet! What _exactly_ are you-"

Ruby's voice cut out as the door swung shut once more, and Summer returned to a sitting position while spreading her books out on the desk. After a couple minutes, more students began filtering in, and Summer could occasionally hear snippets of Yang's conversation with Ruby.

Eventually and with only a minute to spare, Blake entered the room along with a very annoyed looking Weiss. Summer's heart skipped a beat, worried that they would alert their teammate and give Yang at least a handful of seconds to berate her. With so many students around and the assumption that Summer hadn't yet entered the classroom though, neither bothered to check the throng for her, and instead sat along the front row as they had for the previous class.

The door opened one final time, and an angry Yang was ushered in along with a very apologetic Ruby, both flanked by a gangly green haired man with crooked glasses. Doctor Oobleck, as he preferred to be called, beckoned them forward for another few seconds, poked his head out the door, then allowed it to close with an echoing thud.

Yang glared, sweeping her eyes across the gathered students and then freezing in shock to see Summer in the stands above. Summer pretended not to notice, instead busying herself with her notebook. Yang whispered fiercely at Ruby, and the smaller girl turned to look up at her as well. Ruby stammered while whispering back, but was interrupted by Oobleck.

"Now then! If you would all be so kind as to take your seats!" Oobleck stared straight at the sisters, his gaze unfaltering as Yang struggled with the indecision of sitting with her team, or trying to get away with going up next to Summer.

' _Sit with your team…_ '

Ruby grabbed Yang by the hand and pulled her over to where their other two teammates were already seated, making the decision for her while Oobleck's finger tapped impatiently on crossed arms. Yang shot a glare up in Summer's direction after sitting down next to Blake, arms folded and temper flaring.

Oobleck took a sip from his coffee mug and looked out over the class for a few final moments before the bell rang, announcing the start of class, "History, ah yes, history! It is the glue that holds our civilization together! Without the past, there would be no present!"

The teacher began to ramble, darting from one section of the front row to the next, attempting to keep the focus of the students from wavering to other things. Summer had to commend his efforts. No matter how necessary for survival understanding past mistakes was, history was one of the more boring subjects she had been forced to learn while growing up.

Having studied the material for the class well into the future, Summer felt confident enough to mentally check out, in a way. While she did follow the conversation, the rest of her mind's energy was spent on devising another plan to avoid getting caught by her aunt. Lunch was next, and while Summer could still manage a couple more leaps back in time before she'd have to call it quits, she doubted the line cooks wouldn't report a student arriving well before the second period had ended.

Every now and then, Yang shot scathing glances up at Summer, double checking to make sure that she was still there. Over time however, and with Summer continuing to pretend as if she had no idea that Yang even existed, the blond's furious gaze turned to one of curiosity. The embers slowly died as class proceeded, and Ruby's whispered words appeared to have an effect.

Whenever Ruby herself turned to look back, Summer would catch the motion out of the corner of her eye, and freeze. The temptation to return that glance, to look into _both_ of her mother's eyes for the first time, was overwhelmed by the encroaching memories that were reignited each time.

_The blast of magic. The scattering of ashes._

And the world of pain that had come crashing down on her immediately after.

Summer tried to push the thoughts out and focus on the teacher's words as she had with Port, but Oobleck's fast and abrupt style of teaching wasn't conducive to her desires. The vision of Ruby Rose-Arc dying in painfully slow detail gripped her conscious mind like talons, drawing blood in the form of teary eyes the she continuously blinked away.

Eventually, Summer gave up completely on looking towards that portion of the room and instead turned to stare at the wall, placing her head in her hand. At least this way, the mane of red tinted black hair in the bottom row wouldn't incite further memories. Summer breathed deeply to relax, and eventually managed to calm herself as well.

' _How can I avoid Yang…?_ '

Summer couldn't think of anything that wouldn't become outright suspicious behavior to the blond. Asking to use the restroom? Suspicious. Using some time traveling shenanigans to get herself pulled from class? Too costly.

' _Do I just… need to face her?_ ' Summer shivered at the thought, knowing that if Yang caught up to her, so would her mother. The temptation of looking into those silver eyes would be too great to ignore.

' _I'll have to speak to… Ruby… eventually._ '

Summer knew it. Many of her plans _hinged_ on introducing herself to both teams and gaining their trust. In no way was she under the illusion that she could somehow defeat Salem, or even hold back the tide of her monstrous Grimm, without the assistance of other key players. If there was anything her mother had taught her, it had been not to underestimate Salem or her forces.

Summer glanced back around the room, letting her eyes fall directly on her mother. She was busy looking to the side and conversing with Yang in furtive whispers whenever the teacher had his back turned. Summer could make out the hint of a smile from her upturned lips, and knew at that moment that she simply wasn't ready yet.

' _Maybe… maybe another day…_ '

Mind made up, Summer returned to her previous issue; how to stave off a conversation with her blissfully unaware family members. She leaned forward, and the sudden shifting of a weight in her pocket sparked an idea. Summer pulled out the scroll that Qrow had given her, and sent furtive glances down towards her blond aunt.

' _Yang wouldn't think to turn off her scroll for class, would she?_ ' Qrow had been kind enough to load both of his nieces numbers onto Summer's scroll along with his own and Tai's, those digits now sitting open on the contact list before her. ' _Could Qrow give me a distraction?_ ' Either unwitting or otherwise… on second thought, the idea of tricking Qrow any further didn't sit well with her. Faking her kinship had been necessary, but beyond that…

' _I don't want to do anything else that might hurt him…_ ' Brothers knew he'd suffered enough already, even more so in her own timeline. Summer scratched her head in thought, an idea unrelated to Qrow beginning to take shape.

Summer checked the time, trying to gauge at what point the message needed to be sent. There were only a few minutes left in class. ' _Would it take that long?_ '

Deciding it was her best bet, Summer began typing out a message, structuring it to seem as official as possible. With a few thorough rereads, she hesitated for only a moment before hitting send.

Oobleck noticed the time as well and started wrapping up his lecture. Summer absentmindedly jotted down notes for what chapters they were supposed to read, at least willing to give them a quick once over to help recall the information held within. She kept her eyes off team RWBY, since both of the sisters were busy sending brisk glances up in her direction whenever Oobleck's attention was diverted elsewhere.

"And in conclusion-!"

' _BZZZZT_ '

" _Come at me,_

_And you'll see,_

_I'm more than meets the eye~_ "

Oobleck paused at the tail end of his speech, and Yang jumped up in a hurry, fumbling at her pockets to try and reach for her scroll that had begun playing her ringtone at full volume. The entire class turned to look at her, watching as she pulled out her scroll. She swiped to the left, immediately ending the call.

Yang rubbed a hand against the back of her head, sparing a sheepish grin for Oobleck, "Sorry, Professor. My dad was calling. He um, should have known class wasn't over yet…"

Oobleck nodded, "That's alright, Miss Xiao Long. If you would be so kind as to-"

' _BZZZZT_ '

" _Come at me,_

_And you'll-"_

Yang managed to end the call more quickly this time, glaring for all she was worth at the offending device. She opened up her messages and began to type while Oobleck stood with a raised brow. Her typing was interrupted as the scroll went off once more.

' _BZZZZT_ '

" _Come at me,_

_And-"_

"Daaaaaad!" Yang answered the call, growling angrily into the scroll as the bell rang above.

Many of the other students stood to leave, including Summer. With so many watching the drama unfold, she had no issues at all ghosting down the stairs nearest the wall. She used the other students that were leaving, obscuring herself among them, and made it into the hall without feeling the sting of prying eyes on her back.

Summer could barely make out Yang shouting, "I _am_ in class!" before the rest of her conversation was lost to the din of those around her.

' _And Father of the Year Award goes too…~_ ' Summer silently cheered herself on, breaking away to drop her books off in her room and get to the cafeteria long before anyone else. One message sent to her grandfather had been enough, the pretext that she was a Beacon official reporting his daughter as truant an easy lie to craft, though one she would need to apologize for in time.

' _Tai is nice, though…_ ' Summer hoped she'd be able to explain away her actions, or that he would at least be understanding of her fears and find it within himself to forgive her for what she'd done.

Summer put her books away in her room and left, pulling out her scroll once more while deciding to send a preemptive apology as she walked.

" _I'm sorry, Tai! Yang heard my last name in class and seemed really angry, and… I don't do well with that sort of thing… So… thanks for being a distraction? Is that rude to say? I'm sorry! Really I am! I won't do it again..._ " Summer hesitated for a few seconds before hitting send, knowing that no words would truly make up for what she'd done.

After a minute, the scroll buzzed with a reply and Summer opened it up, reluctant to read whatever disparaging remarks that her grandfather might have to say. Drawing up her courage, Summer peeked at the first sentence.

" _Oh! Eve? Qrow hadn't given me your number yet. You-_ "

Summer paused, staring at the words on screen. She would need to scroll down in order to read further, but so far the message seemed… normal…? Hesitantly hopeful, she read on.

" _-could have just asked and I would have helped out! You might not have known, but Yang gets really touchy around anything involving her mother, and seeing as you're a Branwen now… Yeah, you share the same last name._

 _Don't worry about the prank! My girls, er..._ _ **Yang**_ _has done far worse in the past!_

 _Do you want me to give her another call and explain the situation? I could at least get her to calm down and be excited to meet you instead!_ "

Summer felt an overwhelming sense of happiness course through her chest upon reading the message, and quickly read it once more, a smile widening her cheeks. ' _I… I knew he was nice!_ ' she sniffed, wiping at the corner of her eye, and replied back.

" _I was going to wait longer to introduce myself. I don't think I'm… ready… for that yet. I know it sounds dumb, but… could you ask her to wait for me to say hello first?_ "

Summer arrived at the cafeteria and immediately joined the queue, having been beaten there by a few other students that hadn't bothered to put away their books first, and instead simply held them beneath their trays. She shuffled through, distracted from the plethora of new foods by the unease that gathered in her stomach.

After she'd finished filling her plate, her scroll buzzed with a message once more. Summer scurried off to a corner table, the furthest she could get from the entrance doors, and sat down at the bench to read the new message from Tai.

" _Done! I told Yang who you are and that you're, well... shy. Hope you don't mind me saying that! For what it's worth, she and Ruby will wait, but they're really excited to meet you! I know you'll get along really well!_ "

Summer breathed a sigh of relief before replying, " _Thank you, and sorry again… I'm sure we'll get along, too! I just… need some time to adjust…_ "

" _No worries! I'm always here if you need someone to talk to, and I know Qrow would love to hear from you, too. Don't be a stranger!_ "

Summer put away her scroll and began idly pushing the food on her plate around, unable to stop the smile that tugged at her lips. She closed her eyes. While her heart felt empty, the death of her family along with the entire world tugging it low… she could feel those shattered depths being filled ever so slightly by the love she had been shown.

Summer let out a choked laugh, breathless from the conflicting emotions that racked her mind and body, ' _All those times that I'd wished for them to be alive… all the stories I wanted to be a part of…_ ' In some odd way, the reality of it all finally clicked in Summer's mind. She had a chance to live the life she'd always wished for, _yearned_ for with every fiber of her being.

' _No wonder my semblance is what it is…_ '

The child that was born into a twisted, decrepit future had never wanted anything more… other than to ensure that life could be lived to its fullest. A piece of Summer's heart hardened, strengthened with the knowledge of two people she could always turn to. Qrow and Tai would never be a replacement for her mother, but what they could offer was an oasis from the pain and uncertainty that plagued every waking step.

Summer opened her eyes to see the cafeteria had filled much more while she was distracted. The doors were shoved aside, and a flash of golden hair announced Yang's presence. Around the crowded tables, her aunt's eyes scoured each and every face. Ruby stood next to her, following suit.

Silver eyes were the first to catch on to blue, and Summer averted her gaze while still keeping an eye on the pair from her periphery. Ruby moved as if to cross the cafeteria to her, but a much stronger Yang snagged her by the hood and pulled her in close to speak quietly. Ruby slumped, still staring off in Summer's direction, but obediently followed her sister to the lunch line instead.

Summer caught Blake and Weiss following their gaze, the pair showing various levels of interest, if only because she was the source of their teammates' excitement. Weiss was dismissive almost immediately afterwards, while Blake allowed a small portion of her curiosity to show. Regardless, both joined the queue behind Ruby and Yang and eventually joined team JNPR at a distant table.

Summer enjoyed her meal in that quiet little corner, wiling away the time with thoughts of the future. It helped to distract her from the past.

Soon enough, the bell rang loudly throughout the school grounds, announcing the end of their lunch break and the need for them to hurry to their final class. Summer waited until she'd seen the others start to leave before getting up herself and heading towards the garbage, ready to dump what remained on her tray.

With her eyes on team RWBY's backs as they exited the cafeteria, Summer didn't notice the foot that suddenly stuck out into her path. With a startled gasp, she tripped forward and fell to the floor, sprawling out while her tray slid across the ground. Leftover crumbs and bits of food splattered outward, making a mess of the nearby tile and gaining the attention of others around.

"I thought I told you to watch where you're going~?" a boy sneered at her from behind. Muffled laughter followed in its wake, the source of the accident becoming immediately clear to Summer.

Cardin and the rest of his team had chosen a table between hers and the door, sitting near the edge closest to the center isle. Cardin himself was turned on the bench, sitting with a leg on either side, one of which was still protruding out into the aisle where she had been walking.

"Well? Nothing to say for yourself?" Cardin's expression darkened, and Summer realized she'd been lying there for a few seconds without responding to his earlier remark.

That familiar anger boiled close to the surface, but with so many onlookers surrounding her, Summer quailed beneath their abundant attention, "S-sorry…" she mumbled it quietly, though with their close proximity, she was sure Cardin would have been able to hear it.

"What was that!?" he placed a hand to his ear, smirking while his teammates snickered in the background, "You're going to have to speak up~"

Summer's cheeks burned, and she pulled herself up so that she was at least no longer sprawled out across the ground. Her eyes failed to meet Cardin's and her voice came out even quieter than before, " _Sorry…_ "

Cardin feigned annoyance and leaned in closer, "What!?"

"She said sorry!" another voice spoke up, its tone high pitched yet struggling to be firm. Summer glanced in the direction it had come from to see the older girl, Velvet, moving to stand by her side. In her hands was the tray Summer had dropped, along with the larger pieces of food that had fallen free. One hand reached out to help Summer up, while Velvet's eyes remained fixated on Cardin's in a timid glare.

Cardin's eyes stared back into hers, and then inevitably raised to spot the obvious faunus heritage atop her head. His smirk widened, "I guess you would know, wouldn't you? How many channels do you get on those things?"

Velvet's eyes narrowed further while her cheeks reddened. She turned away from the boy and softened as she looked at Summer, gesturing once more for the younger girl to take her hand, "Come on. You need to get to class, right?"

Summer accepted it nervously and was immediately shocked by the strength she felt in the faunus's grip. With hardly any effort, she was gently pulled to her feet, Velvet smiling at her all the while.

The large wooden bench scraped against the floor loudly as Cardin stood, scowling profusely at Velvet and Summer in turn. His hand reached out and grabbed a fistful of Summer's sleeve, stopping her from moving away, "Hey now, I'm still owed an apology! Don't think you can get away from dirtying my shoes like that!" he grinned nastily, egged on by the laughs of his compatriots, "You know what? I'll let you clean them off. That would be a _real_ apology, now wouldn't it?"

Summer's breath caught, wanting to free herself but lacking the force of will to do so. Velvet's expression turned to one of outrage, narrowing her eyes and moving closer to protect Summer, "She'll do no such thing! Unhand her, you- you big brute!"

The grin died on Cardin's face, replaced by an angry sneer as he opened his mouth to speak. Whatever words he was about to say died on his lips though, as a much larger hand gripped him by the shoulder.

"Is there a problem here?" the larger boy's voice was calm, but hard like steel. He stood nearly a foot taller than Cardin, body seemingly built from sheer muscle and little else.

Cardin's sneer remained on his face long enough for him to turn around and see the mountain that held him, the darker skinned boy's entire demeanor radiating a silent warning, ' _Continue, and blood will be spilled._ ' Cardin paled and let go of Summer immediately, hesitantly backing away the few inches he could before bumping into the dining table.

"N-no. No problem here!"

"Good," the boy replied simply. He pushed down, forcing Cardin to sit once more, and the bully appeared happy to comply. Only then did he let go of him, and Summer watched as Cardin swiftly brought a hand up to rub at the spot he'd been held.

"Are you okay?" the boy asked of both Summer and Velvet, and received a nod from both of them.

"Thanks, Yatsu!" Velvet beamed, beginning to lead Summer away while the boy followed behind them.

"Th-thanks," Summer managed, smiling weakly.

'Yatsu' smiled, and gave a relaxed nod of his head, "It was my pleasure. I would hardly want to sit back and watch as someone like him was left unopposed," he held his hand out, and Summer accepted it warily. His grip was more gentle than she ever would have imagined, though, "My name is Yatsuhashi. I'm Velvet's partner."

Summer blushed furiously, looking between the two of them, "Um, like... 'partner', or like… _partner_."

"Uh, well that's-" Velvet laughed nervously and dumped the contents of the tray before setting it off to the side. Her hand still held Summer's firmly, and she steered them out the large double doors and towards a more secluded area. She eyed their surroundings, large rabbit ears twitching in every direction before replying under her breath, "Y-yes. We're... _partners_ ," her ears wilted as she looked at Summer with pleading eyes, "I don't really want word to get out, though…"

Summer made a small motion she had learned from her mother, zipping her lips shut and pretending to throw away the key, "Won't tell a soul. Promise."

Velvet smiled, "Thanks," then scowled playfully at Yatsuhashi, "Yatsu needs to work on keeping secrets~ Maybe he could learn a thing or two from you."

' _If only you knew how many secrets I'm keeping…_ '

Yatsuhashi returned the smile, a hint of guilt in his eyes, "Sorry, Vel."

Quickly checking to make sure the coast was clear, Velvet darted forward on tiptoes to hug herself against his chest. She looked up into his eyes with a smirk, "You're forgiven," then backed off to turn back to Summer, coughing in embarrassment, "Now then, where to?"

Summer looked down at herself, spotting the grime and dirt that covered parts of her uniform. She grimaced, wiping a hand across it only for it to be completely ineffectual, "My next period is Combat class with Miss Goodwitch… I suppose I could just change into my outfit ahead of time… Do you think she'd mind?"

Velvet shook her head firmly, ears flopping from side to side, "No, Miss Goodwitch doesn't care too much about that sort of thing," she checked the time on her scroll, eyes widening, "You might want to hurry if you plan on being there on time. You've only got a few minutes."

' _Time I can manage…_ ' Summer raised her eyes to the campus surrounding them, feigning ignorance, "Which building is it?"

Yatsuhashi pointed one large finger towards one of the nearby buildings, "In there. It's the first room to the left, so you really can't miss it."

"Thanks!" Summer chirped, then paused to scratch the back of her head, "...For this, and for, you know…"

Yatsuhashi was quiet for a moment, sizing Summer up with a critical eye. He sighed, then tentatively placed a hand on her shoulder, "Do you want some advice on how to deal with bullies?"

"U-um…" Summer forced herself not to flinch at Yatsuhashi's contact, reminding herself that he had just saved her from Cardin's near assault, "S-sure."

Yatsuhashi tightened his grip, but not to the point of discomfort or pain. There was a firmness to it, an unbreakable resolve that epitomized the Herculean boy before her, "Show him that you aren't afraid. Bullies thrive off your fear. If you want to be free of him… let him know who's boss."

Summer could feel some of Yatsuhashi's resolve transferring to her through the contact, that force of will becoming a drug that coursed through her veins and quickened the pace of her heart. She looked him in the eye, fighting back the hesitation she felt, and nodded, "I'll try…"

"No. You'll _succeed_."

"I-I'll succeed."

"You can do this."

"I can do this…"

"Louder!"

"I-I can do this!"

"Good!" Yatsuhashi gave her a gentle push towards the class, "Prove that you're not afraid!"

"I'm not afraid!" Summer left the two of them with a slight spring in her step, fighting back the fear welling up inside, ' _I can do this! Totally! I'm strong! C-Cardin's got nothing on me!_ '

* * *

"How do you think she'll do?" Velvet asked, watching the shy and vulnerable freshmen bounce away while muttering 'I can do this' to herself over and over.

"I'm sure she'll do fine…" Yatsuhashi replied evenly.

Velvet turned to stare up at him, her own doubts plain to see.

"Okay… fifty-fifty."

* * *

It wasn't until Summer had changed and stepped into the classroom that she remembered the arena-like nature of spars, and how the eyes of everyone in class would be on her if she fought Cardin.

From the looks of the death glare he was sending her way, he didn't seem to mind in the slightest.


	7. Echoes Through Time

The rest of the class had already changed and left the locker rooms by the time Summer arrived a few minutes late. She quickly entered the womens' and switched into her combat attire, then attached both of her weapons before finding a secluded stall to jump back in time. She let out a heavy sigh upon arrival, feeling her aura take another steep dive.

' _I hope this'll be more of a questions and answers type session instead of actual combat…_ ' Summer stepped out of the stall to find others now in the changing room. Her eyes flickered over various brightly colored students before finding her mother and aunt, in the middle of a conversation with the two female members of team JNPR. Summer tried ignoring them while skirting around other students on her way out, but couldn't help hearing bits and pieces.

"Wow! You've had a cousin all this time and never knew!?" Nora gasped. Summer ducked behind a locker when the ginger's eyes proceeded to zip around the room, on the lookout for her.

"Cool, isn't it!?" Ruby confirmed. She was already fully changed and dropped her eyes to the floor a moment later, feet kicking ineffectually at the tiles, "Dad says she's not ready to meet us, though. I hope we get along…"

Yang patted her on the back with more force than was necessary, "Chin up, Rubes. That just means she's kinda like you! You never would have even talked to Blake if I hadn't made you, remember?"

"I guess you're right…"

"Everyone takes things at their own speed," Pyrrha commented consolingly, placing a hand on the young reaper's shoulder, "I'm sure you'll be the best of friends soon enough."

Ruby cheered up, beaming at Pyrrha, "I hope so!"

Summer had to try and shut out the rest of the conversation as she exited the locker rooms out onto the floor that surrounded the arena. Ruby's voice alone was sending shivers down her spine, the line between the younger and older self blurring. While her mother's older, more mature voice easily differed from the young and energetic tones of Ruby Rose, there was still an element to it that made it unmistakably _hers_.

The arena itself was thirty feet across in both directions, a square surrounded by circular, raised stands. Summer felt her stomach drop, knowing that she would have to fight while being watched by so many others. Several other students had already gathered up in the stands, team CRDL one among many that sat off to the side. Cardin himself spotted Summer as she exited the locker room, and sent her the nastiest glare she'd ever seen on anything that wasn't also a Grimm.

Summer shrunk under that stare, and moved to sit on the opposite side of the room from him and his team. She busied herself with pretending to play with her scroll, but was far too nervous to do anything other than wait for class to begin. The stands filled up even more, team RWBY and JNPR taking up a space near the front rows. Nora excitedly whispered to the others when Ruby pointed Summer out, mentioning that they'd asked her for directions earlier that same day.

Further conversations were interrupted as the teacher entered the room, stepping in from a door on the back edge of the arena. Silence prevailed as they all waited on baited breath for Glynda Goodwitch to begin, the blond teacher's eyes roaming over the gathering with a measured gaze.

"Combat is an integral part of any huntsman or huntress's career. It is the building blocks on which you will learn how best to serve humanity. How to kill Grimm, how to save others, and occasionally, how to take down criminals. By participating in this class, you make a promise to everyone else that you will show restraint. We will be using live ammunition, and the same weaponry that you will carry with you into true confrontations. One wrong move can mean the end, and as such, my word is _law_. Anyone who dares to continue a fight after I have called the match will be punished... _severely_. Do I make myself clear?"

A chorus of acquiescence followed in the wake of her speech, and Miss Goodwitch nodded in approval. She brought up her oversized scroll and typed on it for a moment before an enormous hard light screen was projected on the wall behind her, "All scrolls are capable of measuring their owner's aura. Once you have stepped onto this stage, that aura reading will connect with our system and be displayed for all to see."

She turned to glance over her shoulder as the screen changed, displaying the silhouette image of two different students, followed by long green bars next to their default names, "The system will keep track of your aura as it is expended, either through use of your semblance or through the damage you've received. You may use this screen as a reference during your fights, but in time you will need to keep track of your aura without it. The system should help you to understand the level of damage you can sustain before retreat becomes necessary."

The aura meters lowered, one falling much more drastically than the other. Both changed to yellow after lowering halfway, but the smaller of the two changed to red after moving down to fifteen percent, "Once either participant has reached this point, the match is _over_. I will keep an eye on both aura levels, along with the fight itself, and alert both participants to the match's conclusion. Any attacks made _after_ this point will be punished. The only other way to secure a victory is through a ring out, though it will count for less."

Many of the students nodded along, while a few scratched their heads in mild confusion. Summer felt her stomach drop, realizing exactly what the aura readings would display if she was to take her turn on stage. ' _My aura has already been fueling my semblance…_ ' Would Miss Goodwitch pull her aside afterwards to ask questions? Would it be too suspicious for a student to be missing such a massive chunk of their aura?

Summer's thoughts were interrupted as Miss Goodwitch continued, raising her eyes to the class surrounding her in a wide semicircle, "Everyone must spar each day. Usually, this isn't an issue due to each team having an even number of students," her eyes glanced over to Summer, who shrivelled under the sudden attention, "That is not the case this year. As such, Ozpin has agreed that the student with top marks in this class will be exempt from that rule, and will only need to spar against another student once each week."

Many eyes turned to regard Pyrrha Nikos, who seemed fine enough under the spotlight, projecting an air of obliviousness to the stares of so many. Summer looked to her as well, though for not quite the same reason. It was clear from her mother's stories that Pyrrha had been the uncontested champion in their first year, perhaps even the entire school.

' _But if I dethroned her to take over that spot…_ '

Then Summer would only have to suffer through being stared at _once_ each week.

With her aura as low as it was already, Summer knew that today of all days wouldn't be her best bet. If anything, she should allow Pyrrha a week to solidify her place on the top before contesting it herself. The idea of suffering through so many people watching in the meantime wasn't exactly something to be excited about, but once she was there…

"It is inevitable that students will wish to challenge each other," Miss Goodwitch continued, pulling the class's focus away from Pyrrha, "As such, each of you will be allowed one challenge that you may issue each week. Aside from that, I will be dictating what matches take place by pairing you up in fights that may be beneficial to both participants. Now that is out of the way, if there are no questions…?"

Cardin stood up, drawing Miss Goodwitch's eye to him. He smirked, shooting a glance in Summer's direction before speaking to the teacher, "Can we do that whole challenge thing today?"

Miss Goodwitch frowned, taking a moment to adjust her glasses, "I suppose there's nothing wrong with that. Is there someone you wished to test yourself against?"

Cardin smiled in triumph and pointed a finger over to Summer, causing the young girl to groan inwardly, "I want to challenge _her_."

' _Looks like I'll need Yatsuhashi's advice even sooner than I expected…_ '

Miss Goodwitch checked her chart before glancing back up, "Eve Branwen, was it?" she looked between her and Cardin for a few moments before nodding, "If you would both please make your way down to the stage, we will get the first spar of the year out of the way."

Summer could feel her palms already beginning to sweat, and she struggled to twist her mouth into a nervous smile instead of showing the outright panic she felt. Her hand played with the grip of her pistol, it's weight a soothing presence between her fingers. All things considered, she knew taking down another first year wasn't really going to be an issue for her.

' _But the eyes…_ '

Summer could feel dozens of other students staring down at the two of them as they made their way on to the stage, Cardin stalking like a predator while Summer flinched at the voices that had begun to pick up. The pair of fighters stopped across the ring from each other with only a few quick strides separating them. In his hands, Cardin hefted a rather large mace, its center dominated with a fire dust crystal. Summer drew her sword with her left hand and pistol with her right, only capable of appearing calm due to years of training.

There was a mass intake of breath, and Summer frowned in confusion. She looked to the crowd, then followed their eyes to the large display on the wall to her side. ' _Right…_ ' Summer's aura was already low, only thirty-seven percent of it remaining according to the aura reader.

Miss Goodwitch raised an eyebrow, turning to regard Summer with a measure of confusion, "Miss Branwen, have you _already_ participated in a fight today…?"

"Umm… no. I've just been, uhh… using my semblance a lot?" Summer knew it was the easiest excuse, and had already shown Ozpin what else her semblance was capable of. She rarely used outside of fights, but… ' _They don't know that…_ '

Glynda checked her scroll once more, frown deepening before raising her eyes back to her, "I don't suppose you'd wish to tell me _why_ you've been using it so much?"

"Ummm," Summer shrugged nervously, "First day jitters?" Another excuse came to mind and she added in, "Professor Port used me for his demonstration earlier, too. I guess that kind of counts?"

Glynda looked back and forth between the two of them and sighed, "Well, it is up to you whether or not you wish to continue. If not, I will consider Mr. Winchester's challenge null and void, ready to be used at any other time this week."

Summer thought it over. While it was insanely tempting to simply put off their fight until the next day, Yatsuhashi's words were also tempting her to agree and let the fight continue. What better way to show this bully 'Who's boss' than to beat him while she was already weakened? Summer stared Cardin up and down, some of her earlier anger managing to leak into conscious thought while she sized him up. He would clearly be a slow combatant, someone that she would naturally be capable of avoiding with ease…

Summer nodded, "I'll… I'll fight. Let's get this over with."

Cardin had been glaring at her in return, believing his quarry to have escaped him due to a technicality. Upon hearing Summer's acceptance of the duel though, his expression changed to one of momentary suspicion, then glee, "Knew it was futile, huh? Doesn't matter if it's today or any other day. You'll never beat me."

"Yup, you caught me," Summer's anger was beginning to block out her earlier misgivings, and as Glynda backed away and the lights surrounding the stands dimmed, Summer realized it would be much easier to imagine them as being alone. The lights that flooded the arena obscured the stands completely, creating a large square of white in a field of dim black, the tall boy before her now the only other person she could visibly see.

The two began to circle each other as a countdown began on the projector, beginning from ten. While sweaty, Summer's hands firmly grasped both of her weapons, preparing to end the fight as swiftly as possible. She activated her semblance as the timer wound down, wanting to know what Cardin would do first.

Scenes instantly flickered through her mind, a jumble of different possible actions and reactions that Summer was forced to concentrate on with all her will.

' _A straight bull rush into a heavy downward swing?_ '

Summer wasn't really surprised that Cardin would start things off with such a blatant show of force, intent on overpowering her right out of the gate. Summer considered her options, and stopped circling in order to put weight on her back foot.

The timer hit zero with a loud blare, and Cardin charged as she'd expected, hefting his mace above his head. Summer smirked, raising her pistol to aim at his chest and interrupt the charge. Cardin had seen the power behind it in Port's class earlier, and stumbled in his attack by quickly lowering his mace once more, intent on trying to block the shot.

Summer instead launched herself forward into his guard, springing off her back foot to get within range in only a single stride. Cardin swung his mace outward, trying to intercept whatever it was she had planned. Unfortunately for him, that reaction was part of her plan, and she parried the haphazard blow with relative ease. Doing so knocked his guard open, and his eyes widened as Summer's pistol was once more leveled at his chest.

She pulled the trigger, firing a beam of heated hard light dust directly into his chest. Cardin staggered backward, his aura rippling outward in bright yellow waves before he swung his mace once more with reckless abandon. Summer parried it again, using the weight of his own weapon against him to easily angle it away from herself, her speed far exceeding his brute strength.

Summer danced around his attacks until her weapon gave off a familiar whine, announcing that the first charge had been replaced. Of the two chambers it held, Summer created another opening to fire off the second. It shredded through aura, the screens off to the side revealing that Cardin had already dropped into the mid fifties.

Summer's confidence skyrocketed, and she spared Cardin a smirk before pretending to aim and fire once more. He recoiled, bringing his mace up to defend himself from the shot that never came. Summer instead gave her pistol a quick spin before placing it back on her hip, now only armed with the shortsword in her left hand.

"I thought you'd be a tougher opponent," Summer pouted, barely suppressing a grin. She dropped her guard for a moment to slide a foot forward, and then shake it tantalizingly to draw his attention, "I'll accept an apology if you agree to clean off _my_ shoes. Fair enough?"

Cardin glared in outrage and charged, giving the exact response that Summer had been hoping for when choosing to taunt him. Anger was the easiest emotion to manipulate in a fight, leaving far fewer options in her opponent's mind and making them easier to read with her semblance.

Summer saw the horizontal swing that Cardin was about to unleash from a mile away. It was a powerful blow, all of his strength going into the swing, but far too slow to catch her off guard.

Summer was preparing to backstep out of range when a familiar voice _echoed_ through all of the available futures, a resounding cry of encouragement that doomed Summer to lose all concentration in an instant.

"You can do it, Eve!" Ruby cried out, that singular phrase repeating _hundreds_ of times over in the young girl's mind.

The mace collided against Summer, haft cracking against her hand and spikes slamming into her upper torso. Her sword was flung free of her grasp, Summer herself knocked to the ground by the sheer force of the blow. Her aura rippled blue, on the verge of shattering as she rolled to a stop a few feet away.

Cardin followed after to sneer down on her, raising the mace above his head with a manic gleam in his eye. Summer couldn't move, both from the ringing in her head and the utter pain in her heart. Aside from the name, those exact words were what her mother had _always_ used to encourage Summer to push past her limits.

Summer hardly registered that Miss Goodwitch had proclaimed the match to be over. It appeared that Cardin didn't hear her either, or chose to ignore Goodwitch in favor or teaching Summer a lesson. He grinned maliciously, and began to swing down with all of his strength towards Summer's head.

Summer could only bring her hands up to defend herself and flinch away, burying the side of her face in white tile while waiting for the inevitable blow.

It... didn't come.

Instead, Cardin's voice boastfully rung out, his words cutting in place of his weapon, "Remember _this_ the next time you think opening your mouth is a good idea," he stepped past Summer, foot falling only a few inches from her face, and proceeded off the stage to return to his teammates' sides.

Summer sat up, shaking slightly as the dimmed lights returned full force. She couldn't bare to even look towards the stands, knowing that she didn't want to see whatever expressions might be waiting. Pity? Shame? Anger on her behalf? Summer wasn't sure which one she dreaded the most.

With a few muttered words to Glynda, Summer retrieved her sword and excused herself back into the locker room. She placed them back inside slowly, and turned to sit on the bench instead, head falling between her hands and long black hair cascading down past her face.

' _I'm… I'm pathetic…_ '

Just a few words had been all it took to devastate Summer's concentration, ripping an easy victory from her hands and giving it to the likes of Cardin Winchester, someone she could normally have beaten _unarmed_.

What was all of her training even for if she was going to choke up so easily? Not for the first time, Summer wished there had been a way to bring her mother back with her. While it was possible to do so over shorter durations, the act of traveling so far back by herself had nearly killed her. The attempt wouldn't have ended well for anyone involved, let alone for Summer herself.

' _Mom wouldn't have hesitated…_ ' Through thick and thin, her mother had powered through against all odds in order to train Summer and prepare her for what lay ahead. Pyrrha, Penny, Nora, Ren, Qrow, Tai, Weiss, Blake… even when they had found Yang's mangled remains… It was all part of a future that Summer was supposed to _change_. Perhaps… perhaps that was the one thing that allowed her mother to keep moving forward.

' _But now I_ _ **am**_ _here, the last best chance we'll ever have…_ '

The weight of the literal world rested on Summer's shoulders…

' _And I can't even look them in the eye…_ '

Summer left the locker rooms, walking through the empty halls of Beacon back to her lonely dorm. She fell on the bed, still fully clothed in her combat attire, and stared at the ceiling in silence.

' _I… I need to get past this, and soon. I can't let my fears hold me back. If I don't… Salem will just end up winning again in the end…_ '

Summer resolved herself to try her best the next day, and curled into a fetal position on the bed. She hugged her knees to her chest, staring blankly off towards the opposite wall. Summer stayed there for a while in contemplation before her scroll buzzed, the default message tone playing loudly from her pocket.

Warily, Summer pulled it free and opened it up, looking to see who had messaged her. With a shaking finger, she pressed the icon to open up the message, and read what it had to say.

" _Hey! It's Yang, your cousin! Don't know if you already had my number or not, but if you didn't then here it is! Tough luck with your fight earlier. I beat up one of that asshole's teammates since I heard them laughing about it. Seriously, what a jerk! Don't let it get you down, though! Everybody starts somewhere. Let me know if you ever want to hit the gym! I can show you all the best workouts!_ "

Surprisingly… hearing what her aunt had to say through text didn't have the same bite to it that it would have if she'd been face to face. Summer reread the message, then typed out a response of her own.

" _I'll think about it… but, thanks for the offer._ "

Speaking in person would still be far too tough, but this way…?

Yang replied with another message, " _No problem! I got my dad to send me your number. Do you mind if I share it with Ruby, too? She's the younger red-head!_ "

Summer tensed at the suggestion, but after thinking it over, realized that this might be a good middle ground for the time being. In a way, she might be able to ease her way into their friendship, and overcome the debilitating heartache they caused whenever they were around.

" _Sure. I'm going to get started on homework, though. My replies might be… kind of slow…_ "

" _That's cool! Can't have my scroll out too much since we're still in class anyway. TTYL!_ "

Summer had no clue what those letters meant, but resolved herself to asking another time. With a tired sigh, she laid the scroll back down on her bedside table. It chimed one more time a few minutes later. Figuring it was a message from her mother though, Summer decided to leave it alone for now.

' _Maybe… maybe this will work…_ '

If not… Summer had no idea _what_ she was going to do.


	8. Actions Speak Louder

' _Can't wait to meet you!_ '

The message sent by her mother repeated incessantly in Summer's mind, a constant reminder that she hadn't yet replied despite the hours that had passed since receiving it. She'd taken the time to read the message before shutting off her scroll and heading down into Vale, aura refreshed after a lengthy nap.

Now dressed in a deep black cloak that reached down past her knees, she sat on the edge of a rooftop overlooking a nearby dust shop, contemplating how best to respond. It had been the final message she received before going to bed; the first text message her mother had ever sent her.

' _What should I say back? Me too? That sounds like an invitation…'_ Summer could still barely look at her own mother, let alone meet her silver eyes. Bringing about their inevitable first interaction ahead of time was far from appealing. ' _It's not as if I can just ignore her forever, either…_ '

Summer let out a deep sigh and returned to her watch, keeping the streets that led to the dust shop under constant surveillance. Her future self had already reported back, letting her know what shop was going to be hit that night. Now all she needed to do was sit and wait until her targets arrived, unaware of the time traveller that was more than prepared for them.

Aura recharged to its fullest, Summer was eager to let out some of her pent up frustration. Losing to Cardin had been unforgivable, regardless of the circumstances. He was sloppy, brutish, with no mind for technique or skill. At her worst, Summer should have been able to pick him apart with her bare hands, piece by piece, until the bully's true nature was revealed to all.

' _Instead, I was the one that ended up with my face buried in tile…_ ' Summer shook her head in shame. Never in her life did she consider something as simple as a school bully getting the better of her. In truth, the issue wasn't with Cardin himself. The boy was hardly imposing in his own right. The problem lay with her. With the mind numbing fear that came with being the center of attention.

' _Hopefully that won't carry into my nightly duties…_ ' Summer worried, glancing once more up the darkened city street. She checked her watch. It was nearly time. The exact difference between the start of the robbery and the first calls to the police were dubious at best, but Summer had made sure to arrive well ahead of schedule.

' _Meanwhile, my future self should have already taken a Bullhead back up into Beacon. Once I hit the fixed point in time she created, I'll be zapped back as well.'_ Summer smirked, proud of the plan her mother had devised, ' _The perfect alibi in case anyone starts asking questions about the mysterious vigilante~_ '

Unfortunately, she hadn't been able to bring her weapons along for the occasion. The city streets were packed with cameras, aside from the more impoverished districts. A single clip sent to the wizard's inbox, and even a fool would be able to put two and two together.

Summer flexed her hand instead, clenching and unclenching her fingers repeatedly. Her knuckles were slightly caloused, the product of years spent training with more than just her weapons. Over two decades into the future, the more mature Ruby Rose-Arc had long since seen the error of her ways when it came to lacking in skill at hand to hand combat. She'd forced Summer to train with Yang while her aunt was still alive, then shown her what she'd managed to pick up from Ren and allowed Summer to create her own style from there.

The first sound to catch Summer's attention was the roar of a large vehicle rounding the street corner in the distance, gravity dust engines complaining at the stress they were being subjected to. It was a midsized black van, the windows tinted completely to obscure whoever resided within. It rumbled in protest one final time as it came to rest in front of the dust shop, the doors sliding open to release a rush of masked individuals.

Summer waited a moment, checking to see if Torchwick himself would be part of the ensemble. However, his characteristic bowler hat and white jacket were nowhere to be seen among the six White Fang that poured out, hefting weapons and directing their attention to the store front.

' _Oh, well. He's bound to show up eventually if the White Fang keep failing to gather the dust he needs._ '

The final member exited the vehicle, leaving it parked outside the store as they all converged towards the waiting store. Seeing an opening directly in the center, Summer kicked off the edge of the roof. Her cloak whipped around her body in a flurry of wind, stopping as she expertly landed from the three story fall, transferring her momentum into a roll across the sidewalk below.

"Eh, what the hell!?"

The first to speak was the first to fall, as Summer rose from the ground to slam her palm into the bottom of his masked chin, shattering it with a concentrated burst of aura. The faunus was blasted off his feet and into the air, landing limply with a heavy thud on the roof of the vehicle they'd exited. The thin metal bent with a satisfying groan, denting inward from the man's sudden weight atop it.

Semblance already activated, Summer immediately dodged the sloppy attack directed at her from the left. Brilliant blue eyes darted to focus on her next target, a quick series of feints allowing her to slip past the terrorist's haphazard defense. In a single moment, two of their number were down, the second thrown in a tangle of limbs across the pavement by another aura infused palm strike.

"You'll _pay_ for that!" one of the faunus screamed in outrage, raising his blade to slash down at Summer's head in fury. She sidestepped it easily enough, semblance warning her of his actions seconds before the event had transpired. Summer slammed her palm into the side of the blade as it passed, sending the faunus reeling in shock as his balance was entirely thrown off.

"Peri, down!" one of the female faunus yelled, raising a dust rifle to aim at Summer's back.

Faster than 'Peri' could respond, Summer had already dropped low and crossed the distance to redirect the gun away from herself. Panicked and inexperienced, the woman squeezed the trigger anyway, firing off a rapid burst of dust rounds that pelted her fellow faunus instead of their intended target.

Summer grabbed the end of the barrel and twisted, allowing a few more rounds to intercept the faunus charging at her from behind. They fell back instead, arms raised to defend against the dust rounds. Summer took her opportunity to rip the weapon from the woman's hands, then grabbed her arm and pulled her over her shoulder.

In a move that Yang had spent hours drilling into her niece, Summer hurled the faunus to the ground with enough force to knock the air from her lungs and crack the pavement beneath her. She kneeled quickly to deliver a final blow to the faunus's chin, breaking her aura and rendering her unconscious.

From within the cowl of her hood, Summer raised her eyes to stare at the three remaining White Fang members. Scenes of potential futures flashed through her mind in a blur. Finding one of many that ended with her victorious, Summer herself became a blur in the faunus's eyes, moving with a speed and skill that had been drilled into her since she'd been old enough to walk.

Ten seconds later and with six unconscious terrorists decorating the nearby street, Summer dusted her hands off in silent congratulations. ' _That wasn't nearly as bad as sparring!_ ' she cheered to herself, allowing a brief sigh of relief to escape.

Summer became aware of the citizens gathering nearby to point and stare, muttering amongst each other at the spectacle that had unfolded in front of their eyes. ' _Looks like my problem really is just with people…_ ' she shrunk away from their attention, making sure to pull her hood as far forward as she could before retreating into a nearby alley. The eyes seemed to follow, even after she'd turned several corners.

Once the feeling went away though, Summer pulled up the sleeve of her coat to check the time again, noting that she had around three minutes to find a secluded space away from prying eyes. Normally, the cameras of Vale would be more than capable of tracking her route through the city. However, Summer had no intention of travelling the _normal_ way.

Backing into the dark end of an alleyway, Summer waited until the timer finally counted down to zero. A spinning flash of blue beneath her feet sent her backwards in time, free from the blackened night sky and into blindingly bright daylight, several hours before the robbery would take place.

Summer blinked to try and rid herself of the pain behind her eyes, feeling her aura take a noticeable dip from its maximum capacity. The cold night air was immediately replaced by an overbearing heat, forcing her to pull the cloak free and stuff it into the small pouch on her thigh.

' _Now then… didn't I have some homework from Oobleck's class?_ '

With a spring to her step, Summer headed back to the bullheads, and eventually, Beacon.

* * *

Oobleck's class carried on around her, the energetic professor giving a lengthy lecture on the pros and cons of early technology used during the war. How Atlas's superior vehicles had been one of the major factors in defending their own borders, yet failed to earn results once met with conditions unlike the snowy landscape they had been created in.

Summer already knew it all. She had secretly paid even more attention to history than even her mother had asked, afraid of the wild chance in which she might somehow overshoot her target and end up further back in time than she'd intended. The early eras had seen the rise and fall of many towns and settlements, places that were better left uninhabited due to their paltry defenses and nonexistent natural borders.

Ruby and Yang had both flashed her a smile as they'd entered the class earlier, and despite her best efforts, Summer had only been able to meet their eyes for a few seconds in response. The visions had followed in their wake. Her mother, vanishing in an excruciatingly slow puff of ash. Yang's body where they'd found it, bent and broken.

Summer shuddered, doing her best to shove the images from her mind and focus on the class at hand. It was difficult, all things considered. The visions demanded her attention, the lesson failing to keep her captivated no matter how boisterous Oobleck remained throughout.

"Now then! Can anyone tell me what invention was the most instrumental in Atlas's earliest conquests for territory?"

Weiss raised her hand in a flash of white, as she had for every question that Oobleck posed to them during his class. Summer breathed a quiet sigh and returned her gaze to the wall, glad to have no hint of red or yellow in her field of vision. She leaned hard against her hand, elbow planted against the wooden desk in front of her.

"Miss Branwen! Perhaps you might be willing to participate?" Oobleck called out loudly, ignoring Weiss as she raised slightly in her chair, desperate to gain his attention.

Summer blinked in surprise, taking a moment to remember that _she_ was 'Miss Branwen'. She turned to regard Oobleck with a timid smile, more than aware of the students that had also turned to watch her. Many smirked, appearing to believe that the quiet girl in the back of the class would struggle with the question.

Summer shrugged, ignoring the encouraging stares from her mother and aunt, and the quiet snickers from team Cardinal, "The Dust rifle. It offered a huge advantage in range and firing power, heavily outclassing the bows and arrows that most of the world's inhabitants continued to rely on at the time. Soldiers with less training could stand toe to toe against forces with far more experience. Because of this, Atlas was able to spend less time and resources on training, allowing their military to invest in further advancements that kept them ahead of the curve."

Oobleck nodded along, "And how did they lose that advantage?"

Summer frowned, "You can only keep something like that secret for so long before it falls into enemy hands. Rifles were recovered by Vale during their skirmishes, allowing them to reverse engineer the weapons and mass produce their own. Once they'd outfitted their own military, the war returned to a more level playing field."

"Thank you Miss Branwen, you are entirely correct! Valuable insight, very valuable indeed!" Oobleck turned away as he said it, zipping across the class to continue his lecture.

" _Nerd_ ," Cardin muttered loud enough to be heard by Summer, but not Oobleck. She rolled her eyes and turned her gaze back to the wall, tracing the patterns in the paint to distract herself from the visions that surged back to the forefront of her mind.

The second day of Beacon had started off much like the first, with Cardin and his team attempting to corner her in the empty hallways between classes. Unfortunately, that was one of her main modes of transportation. Summer had been denied the comfort of the eyeless space, forced to backtrack immediately upon seeing them treading upon her most sacred space.

It seemed as if the altercation in the dining hall had damaged his ego more than Summer realized, causing him to take it out on her at every opportunity. She'd done well enough before and after Port's class to deny him that chance, but his antics were starting to get on her nerves.

' _You'd think he'd have something better to do with his time,_ ' Summer chided, listening as one of his teammates put on a high pitched falsetto to mimic her answering the previous question.

' _Children, the lot of them…_ '

Summer couldn't imagine acting that way when she had been growing up. The Grimm were too numerous, the land itself too dangerous. She'd hardly had any childhood to speak of, all things considered. 'Playing' was the last thing on their minds in the middle of an apocalypse, where death could come for you at the drop of a hat. Summer couldn't recall even having any toys. Just books, sweat, and tears.

The bell rang loudly, cutting off all trains of thought as the multitude of students made a rush to pack up books and leave for lunch. Oobleck loudly called out a range of page numbers, assigning them to be read before class the next day. Summer managed to exit the classroom ahead of the majority despite her place in the back of the classroom, never having unpacked her books in the first place.

Summer's plan for a flawless escape wasn't fated to be, however. A bobbing head of white hair managed to catch up with her as she exited the room, Weiss falling into step beside her.

"You answered that rather well," Weiss complimented her, oblivious to the uneasy expression that flickered across Summer's face. "Perhaps you'd like to study together sometime? My own partner is rather hopeless when it comes to schoolwork."

"O-Oh, is that so?" Summer managed to strangle out, faking a smile that twitched with each passing moment. ' _Mom did always say that she and Weiss didn't get along at first._ ' "What about the rest of your team?"

Weiss waved a hand, brushing the hair from her shoulder as if brushing aside the idea of turning to her meager teammates, "Dubious, at best. One is _far_ too brash to hold a civilized conversation with, and the other hardly speaks to me at _all_."

"I-I see…"

Summer breathed a sigh of relief when she was saved from thinking up a lie, though her savior was even worse in comparison to the prim and proper heiress. Ruby's voice hissed from a dozen feet behind them, cutting across the crowd between them, " _Weeeiiiss! No!_ "

Weiss stopped in place to spin on her heel with a raised eyebrow, mouth already curling down in a grimace. Summer had no plans on following suit, and took the opportunity provided to disappear into the crowd. The conversation behind her became heated, voices escalating in a high pitched argument between Ruby and her partner. Summer blocked them out as well as she could, feeling a wave of sweet relief wash over her once their voices had faded into the distance.

Summer was too busy with her attempts at ignoring them, however. She hardly noticed where her feet were carrying her. Just as it had happened the day before, Summer found herself falling to the ground after crashing into the barrel chested form of Cardin Winchester.

The large boy laughed crudely, staring down on her while his teammates chuckled in the background, "Where were you headed in such a hurry? Hoping to find that disgusting faunus so that she can protect you?"

Summer glowered from her place on the ground, bag at least having contained her books this time around and keeping them from spilling across the floor. She placed a hand beneath herself and stood, dusting herself off as she did. She fought against the desire to shy away, trembling only momentarily before stepping closer to the boy.

"Back off, Cardin. Keep going like this and you're going to regret it," Summer warned, trying to assume a pose that might help to convince him that harassing her wasn't in his best interests. She knew her attempts were in vain, though. No one could take her seriously when she couldn't even maintain eye contact.

Cardin snorted and raised his hands, using his superior strength to shove her backwards. Summer managed to keep her footing, but was still forced to stumble back a few feet. He sneered nastily, "As _if_. We'll see how long you can play pretend in _Goodwitch's_ class." His sneer subsided, turning into more of a smirk, "My teammates are going to be saving up their challenges just for you~"

Summer narrowed her eyes, "Bring it on. I could use some easy victories."

The group laughed, Cardin in particular shaking his head in disbelief, "You're all talk." He brushed past, slamming his shoulder into hers in passing, "See ya there, _Nerd._ "

Summer forced herself to remain unmoving, stoically standing and watching them as they turned the corner out of sight. Immediately, she exhaled heavily, breathing in and out rapidly as if she'd just finished a mile long sprint. ' _Th-that was better!_ ' She'd at least managed to hold his glare for a few seconds, a minor improvement from how her eyes had been glued to the floor during their first altercation.

Summer finally caught her breath and straightened, turning to leave in the opposite direction from the way team Cardinal had gone. She stumbled in her first few steps though, eyes instantly locking on to the bow clad faunus that stood with arms crossed and her back against the wall. By all appearances, she could have just happened to be there, peacefully resting with her eyes closed.

' _I-Ignore her_ ,' Summer gulped, resuming a regular pace and walking past to continue on her way. Blake didn't move from her place against the wall, choosing to act as if nothing out of the ordinary had transpired during the last few minutes in the near desolate hallway. In a way, Summer was supremely thankful for that fact, and chose to show her appreciation by reciprocating Blake's lack of interest. ' _It's really for the best…_ '

Bag in hand, Summer exited the hallway towards the stairs, ready to put away her books and try to enjoy a peaceful lunch.

* * *

Blake waited until the girl had left before letting out a sigh of her own and opening her eyes. She had overheard team Cardinal's plans to ambush the girl before they rushed out of class, and thought it best to stay close in case it went too far. Thankfully, Eve had managed to stand up for herself, if only marginally.

' _Best of luck in your spar…_ '

Blake stepped away from the wall and headed in the direction the girl had gone, their dorms apparently located in the same section of the building. She moved with purpose, eager to use her own challenge against the ringleader of bullies. Cardin needed to be put in his place after his disparaging remark, insulting her fellow faunus.

Blake was just glad she knew where to direct her wrath.

And... she supposed as an added bonus, her partner would appreciate Blake singling out the one bullying her cousin.

* * *

Summer found a nice shaded spot beneath a tree to enjoy her lunch, away from the throng of warm bodies and loud voices that infested the dining hall. A soft breeze blew across the plateau, the singing of birds from the nearby forest accompanied by the mesmerizing sounds of leaves in the wind. The past was more peaceful than she could have imagined.

Free from the worry and pain associated with catching glimpses of her family members, Summer managed to enjoy her second meal at Beacon. The food was delicious, a fact that held no end of surprises for the young girl after a lifetime spent on meager rations. 'Broccoli with cheese', the sign had read. A simple confection that still sent shivers of pleasure down her spine with every bite.

"Glad to see you're having a good time!" a feminine voice announced, traveling closer to Summer's secluded plot of shade. She recognized the voice, and turned to flash a hesitant smile towards the bunny eared faunus heading her way. Yatsuhashi was in tow, each carrying a tray of their own that were similarly laden with food.

"Hey, Velvet," Summer replied, not managing to invest the same amount of cheer into her own voice as the older girl had. "How were your classes?"

"Oh, easy enough. What about you?" Velvet redirected the question casually, sparing a smile as she did so. The pair stopped to stand in other portions of the shade, waiting for Summer to gesture that it was fine if they sat with her.

"You mean combat class yesterday?" Summer sighed, crossing her arms to lean back against the tree behind her, tray balanced on crossed legs. "It wasn't _too_ terrible. I lost, but only through sheer bad luck."

"Really?" Velvet raised an eyebrow, "Think you'll win today?"

Summer huffed, "I'd better… though it might be a good idea to take a few measures into account beforehand…" her scroll burned a hole in her pocket, message from her mother still unanswered after nearly an entire day.

"It is _always_ worth your time to prepare," Yatsuhashi agreed, sitting down in a cross legged pose with far more grace than Summer would have guessed him capable of. "Not planning at all is planning to fail, as they say."

"Do you know who you're going to be fighting?" Velvet asked curiously, kneeling down before slouching partially to the side, feet tucked beneath herself.

Summer shook her head, "Cardin promised one of his teammates would challenge me today… and probably for the next couple days after that. They do have four, after all…"

"Do you know which you'd prefer to fight?"

Summer shrugged, "I didn't stick around to watch them all spar yesterday, but I _have_ seen their weapons. Out of the other three…?" she tapped her chin, eyes raising to the canopy of branches above in thought. "The grey haired one uses a halberd of some sort. I doubt he'd be able to keep up with me very well."

Velvet smirked, "Then it sounds to me like you should take the initiative~" When Summer frowned in return, the faunus giggled into her hand and leaned forward to poke Summer in the chest. " _You_ get to challenge other people too, right? Use yours before they get a chance to use theirs, and pick out the one _you_ want to fight!"

The plan clicked in Summer's mind and she smiled, realizing how right Velvet was. It was an easy way to put the odds in her own favor while also appearing as if she was simply standing up for herself. "You're a _genius_ , Velvet~"

Velvet waved a hand in denial, "Not really. Just experienced."

"Really? Did other students try to pick on you as well?"

"Oh, they _tried_ ," Velvet smiled devilishly, sparing an eye to Yatsuhashi in turn. The large boy smiled back, sharing in some secret joke between the two.

Summer grinned nervously, not wanting to be on the receiving end of Yatsuhashi's wrath if she was to ever insult the kind hearted faunus, either intentionally or unintentionally. ' _They do say the quiet ones are the ones you should watch out for…_ ' she chuckled quietly to herself, ' _I wonder what that says about me…_ '

Summer stood, careful to not spill what small leftovers remained on her tray. "Thanks, Velvet! Thanks, Yatsuhashi!"

The older boy smiled lightly, "Yatsu is fine. My full name can be a mouthful at times."

"Got it," Summer flashed a smile in return. "It won't be long before class starts, so I'd rather get ready ahead of time. I'm glad we had this little chat~"

"No problem," Velvet waved away Summer's thanks. "Maybe next time you can meet the rest of our team. I'm sure you'll like them, too. Good luck with your spar!"

"I'll do my best!"

Yatsuhashi nodded, "That's all anyone ever can do. Go out there and show them that you're not to be trifled with."

Summer smirked, "I'm the boss, for real this time~"

"Go get 'em."

Summer grinned, waving over her shoulder as she left to deposit her tray back at the dining hall. With only a short dip in through the main doors, she was soon off to the changing rooms, a slight skip in her step.

" _I won't be nearly as low on aura this time, either_ ," Summer thought cheerfully, winding along the serpentine path towards one of the many large buildings in the distance. ' _I should be around eighty percent, since I didn't really feel like sleeping again after stopping that robbery._ ' Summer had instead spent a small portion of the night finishing up her homework, and the rest binging movies on demand.

As it turned out, the hundred lien that Qrow had deposited to the account on her scroll went a long way in regards to streaming subscriptions. Summer had tapped the icon out of many on her screen, curious as to what it was. Her eyes had lit up like never before, browsing the horde of available movies at her fingertips, just _begging_ to be viewed.

' _Focus, Summer. What else should I do before my spar?_ ' she chastised herself, pushing open the door into the first year's main building and making a beeline for the womens' locker rooms.

The reason for her loss the previous day came to mind, Summer's hand absentmindedly tracing the outline of the scroll in her front pocket. ' _Can I say something to my mo-... to Ruby? I don't want a repeat of last time…_ ' The echoing shout had been nearly unbearable for the young girl, dredging up so many memories of her twisted past. Fortunately, almost all of them involving her mother were good, her death being one of only a few exceptions. Regardless, it had still been enough to break her concentration.

Reaching the locker rooms, Summer put those thoughts on hold while changing into her combat outfit. It took only a few short minutes, and she breathed a sigh of relief once she had. In some ways, the outfit reminded her of who she was; a huntress trained beyond her years against unprecedented odds. Compared to that… ' _What's a little school bully going to do?_ '

Summer set her school uniform inside her locker, hearing the dull, muffled thunk of her scroll against the metal container. With a sigh, she retrieved it and opened up her contacts, finger hovering over 'Ruby'.

" _Can't wait to meet you!_ "

The words remained, solitarily displayed on the scroll's screen, a small line blinking in place repeatedly within the text box below. Summer's thumb tapped it to open up the small keyboard, fingers hesitating while she contemplated what to say.

" _Can't wait to meet you, too_ "... " _Just need a little time_ "... Summer bit her lip, wondering how best to phrase her request for silence without sounding demeaning. Her fingers moved across the screen once more, " _And just to let you know… My semblance takes a lot of focus,_ "... " _so can you please hold off on cheering until after I win_?"

Even _that_ sounded far too critical to Summer, as if she was chastising her own mother for her previous defeat at Cardin's hands. She decided to add, " _I know it sounds silly, but it would really help me a lot,_ " hoping against hope that Ruby would understand her reasoning behind the request.

Summer's finger hovered over the send button for only a few moments longer before she summoned up her courage and pressed it, wincing as the small loading icon appeared. A small part of her hoped it would fail to go through, but that wish was quickly dashed by the melodic ping, announcing that it had indeed been received by Ruby.

A small bubble appeared almost immediately, three small dots bouncing in sequence to indicate that her mother was replying. Summer swallowed, nervously waiting to see what she would have to say.

 _Ping!_ The notification sounded once again, this time as it received the message that Ruby had sent, " _Sure! Good luck against whoever you fight! You almost had that other guy yesterday!_ "

Summer breathed out a heavy sigh she hadn't realized she'd been holding on to, immediately berating herself for being so worried in the first place. Her mother had _always_ been a kind and understanding individual. Why would the younger version, _before_ all of the carnage and mayhem, be any less so?

" _It_ was _really close. But I'll make sure I don't lose to him again, you can count on that. Thanks, m-_ " Summer paused, chastising herself quietly while hitting backspace, glad that unlike with words, it was possible to correct her mistakes this way, " _Thanks, Ruby_."

Summer returned the scroll to her pocket, attached her weapons to her combat outfit, and exited the locker room with a small smile on her face.

* * *

Yang looked over midbite, teeth buried in the sandwich she held between two hands. Her attention had been taken away from her prize, drawn to her little sister instead as Ruby drummed her feet against the bottom of the bench, a wide smile plastered across her face.

"Wha's up, Roobs?" Yang asked through her sandwich, raising an eyebrow at the younger girl.

Ruby beamed, spinning her scroll to face Yang and shoving it near her face so that she could read the text on screen, "Eve finally messaged me! Look!"

Yang glanced at the screen briefly, enough to see that her elusive cousin had in fact messaged Ruby. She chewed deliberately, gulping down the overly large bite to offer her sister a doting smile, "Told ya she would eventually. And here you were, worried that she didn't like you~"

Ruby didn't even register the teasing, too elated by the simple words that had been exchanged between the two of them. She practically cradled the scroll before returning it to her pocket and wolfing down the food on her plate.

"Anyone else ready for combat class!?"

Nora was the only one to reply with an equal level of energy.

* * *

The entirety of the class eventually filed into the arena stands, Summer being the first to have arrived by a wide margin. She had kept to herself while she waited, awkwardly letting the silence hang when Miss Goodwitch had entered soon after. The blond teacher had simply spared her a surprised eye, then turned to go about her usual business.

Now, Summer was forced to try extra hard in avoiding the wide smile that her mother was directing her way. ' _As long as there aren't any outbursts…'_ Even prepared for the possibility, Summer wasn't completely certain she wouldn't freeze up if the situation was repeated.

The bell rang, announcing the beginning of class. Miss Goodwitch turned around, looking up from the scroll pad held in her hands to the students lining her seats above.

"If there are any volun-" Glynda began, only to pause in surprise upon seeing two hands immediately shoot up from the gathered students. Both Summer and the boy with a mohawk on team Cardinal had raised their hands, hoping to be the first called upon out of the class.

Glynda's eyes strayed over to the green haired boy, then shifted back over to Summer as a smug smile twinged her lips, "Yes, Miss Branwen? Did you have a question, or did you wish to issue a challenge?"

With so many eyes on her, Summer couldn't help but be a little panicked. She began to feel sweat building up along the neckline of her combat outfit, but refused to acknowledge it in favor of appearing steadfast, "Um… a challenge, Miss Goodwitch."

"Excellent. Who would you like to face off against today?"

' _Oh, right…_ ' Summer felt her shoulders rise slightly, caught in a situation that felt far too embarrassing in front of so many people, ' _I don't actually_ know _all their names…_ '

Summer stood up, pointing across the seats to the general vicinity of team Cardinal, "Uh… th-the grey haired one… Sorry, I don't know your name…"

Miss Goodwitch's smile widened, and she looked down to check her scroll for the boy's name, "Mr. Sky Lark, is it? Please proceed down to the arena to face off against your opponent."

The other members of team Cardinal laughed boisterously, shoving him forward with confidence born of unchecked optimism. They clearly believed that his victory was in the bag, a foregone conclusion that only required the necessary rites before they'd be able to laugh it all off.

Summer walked down the steps to the arena as well, entering the stage as she had the day before. The eyes still made her nervous, the quiet mutters putting her on edge. Unlike the day before however, she allowed her gaze to find its way over to her mother's team and their friends.

Ruby smiled confidently, pretending to zip her lips shut. Yang followed suit, adding a thumbs up to show that she was in Summer's corner. Even Blake showed the slightest hint of a smile, the edge of her lips upturned minutely.

Summer inhaled deeply, closing her eyes to try and regain her composure. She exhaled, trying to push out all of her fear and anxiety with the air she expelled. She felt better, far better than she had the previous day. Summer raised her left hand past her shoulder, and her right down to her hip, drawing both weapons simultaneously in preparation for the fight.

Of course, she forgot one minor detail.

"Again, Miss Branwen?" Miss Goodwitch asked, drawing Summer's attention to the aura gauges behind them.

Summer's bar was already depleted, down to seventy-eight percent before the match had even begun. All she could think to do was shrug in response, knowing that no excuse she gave would appease the older woman, "I use my semblance a lot…?"

The teacher sighed in vexation, "And will you insist on fighting again this evening?"

Summer nodded.

Miss Goodwitch shook her head, "Please try to refrain from using your semblance so much during the day. This class is meant to measure you at your _best_. It would be a shame if we were never afforded the chance to see it."

"I'll try," Summer promised, though she had no plans on keeping it. There was no way to avoid using her semblance during her nightly outings, not unless the White Fang chose not to attack on any particular night.

Miss Goodwitch nodded acceptance and stepped back, making way for the two students who stood mere paces away from each other. Summer gave her shortsword a small twirl, feeling even more of her trepidation falling to the wayside as the lights above the spectators shut off.

The arena floor itself was drenched in light, allowing Summer the chance to inspect every detail of her enemies stance. He looked to be experienced, standing with the halberd interposed between the two of them, ready to defend against her superior speed and agility.

He was too stiff, however, and Summer had already identified a few methods of attack long before Miss Goodwitch called for the spar to begin.

Activating her semblance, Summer's mind played through each of the avenues she had identified. The successes and failures flickered through her eyes in an instant, giving her unparalleled insight into how best to attack, at least within the next five seconds.

Summer darted forward and parried the straight jab that Sky sent her way, knocking his blade up and away. He back stepped in response, using the momentum of their clash to spin his weapon back between them. She slashed her own weapon down to meet it, stopping him from raising his guard in time. The first shot of her hand cannon echoed across the arena, blasting directly into his chest at point blank range.

The crowd 'oohed' at the damage done, Sky's aura plunging immediately to the seventies and evening out the spar right from the start. He tumbled backwards, putting distance between himself and Summer while preemptively dodging in case she'd thought to fire off her second shot.

Summer kept chambered instead, ready at a moment's notice in case she needed it. Her sword was another matter entirely however, and Summer closed the gap in a single dash, lashing out with the blue edged blade. Sky managed to recover and raised his defense in time, blocking Summer's blade with the haft of his polearm. What he hadn't expected was for the blade's edge to glow in the middle of its swing.

An arc of blue energy shot off the blade, only partially blocked by the boy's weapon. The rest slashed directly into his aura, sending a shimmer of brown cascading across his form. Summer struck again as he reeled back, unwilling to allow him any leeway after the trouble his team had caused.

Sky panicked, his plan on remaining on the defensive clearly backfiring at this point. He glared, shifting his stance to go on the attack. The heavy, crescent shaped edge of his halberd whistled through the air, intent on cleaving a chunk out of Summer's aura.

With a look of absolute disdain, she parried. The blow had been so telegraphed, so utterly _slow_ , she wouldn't have needed her semblance to see it coming from a mile away.

Shock and panic turned into outright desperation as Sky continued, slashing his polearm repeatedly in the hopes that it would connect. Summer battered each of them to the side, sword flickering it to land small glancing blows against his rapidly depleting aura. Every now and then, she refrained from utilizing her weapons to defend, instead dodging with complete confidence and evading his attempts as if it were the easiest thing in the world.

For her, it might as well have been.

A minute passed of Summer allowing her point to be made. Where words failed her, actions would prevail, and they said much about the clear gap in skill between them. Sky was beginning to fatigue by the time Summer decided to end it. With a swift series of attacks meant to put him off balance, Summer darted her blade into the small space between the head and haft of his weapon. She twirled her own, and with one heave at the end, tore the polearm from his grip to send it flying off stage.

Summer leveled the tip of her sword against his throat, blue edge gleaming. Sky raised his hands, standing stock still while his eyes stared down at it.

"I-I give up!"

The blue glow faded as many in the crowd cheered. The lights returned, and Summer spared a glance to see the proud smiles on Ruby and Yang's faces. She smiled briefly in return, incapable of holding their gazes for long, but still sharing in the euphoria for that one instant.

"Well done, Miss Branwen," Miss Goodwitch complimented her, offering up a nod of approval. "That was much better than yesterday's showing. However, I find it prudent to remind you that you must stay for the _entirety_ of the class."

Summer returned her weapons to their rightful places and rubbed a hand against the back of her head, giving a sheepish grin in return, "Sorry about that. I um, kind of had a lot on my mind and wasn't thinking straight…"

"I will forgive it just this _once_ , Miss Branwen. See to it that you do not repeat your mistakes in the future."

"I won't, I promise."

Miss Goodwitch waved her hand, gesturing for Summer to leave the stage. She began speaking with Sky afterwards, telling him what he had done wrong in the fight and offering advice freely. Summer ignored it, but wondered what comments the teacher would have about her own fighting style, if she had any to give.

' _Sky wasn't exactly a good person for her to judge me against. Maybe she'll have something to say if I fight someone like Yang…_ '

Summer shivered, gruesome images coming to mind at the mere thought of fighting the blond brawler. ' _No… I don't want that. Not yet_.'

The rest of the class continued on after she'd taken her seat. Summer tried her best to watch through its entirety, but was forced to look away during her aunt and mother's individual spars. Each blast of Crescent Rose or Ember Celica was a bloody mark against her resolve, but she weathered through it, for better or worse.

Watching Blake make a fool out of Cardin was fun too, at least.


	9. The Fear That Binds

Summer slipped into a nearby alley as the crowds began to gather, citizens peeking their heads from cover well after the battle between the White Fang and singular Huntress had taken place. A dozen unconscious bodies lay in various positions across the street, some nestled in cracked pavement, others strewn across the tiled floor of the shop itself.

' _Still no Torchwick, though,_ ' Summer sighed, shrinking into the shadows as the first sirens could be heard, distant but growing louder by the second. Torchwick had increased the number of White Fang for each robbery, forcing Summer to spend longer taking care of them. Even so, no amount of fodder was going to keep her from achieving her goals, a lesson that would hopefully be drilled into Torchwick's thick skull after tonight.

' _I guess I shouldn't have expected him to come slinking into the spotlight so soon. This is only the fourth night, after all. Even so, he'll be getting nervous with most of the week passing by and nothing to show for it,_ ' Summer checked the countdown on her watch. Only a minute left. ' _I wonder how long it'll be until Cinder takes notice. Even longer before she bothers to step in personally, no doubt._ '

Summer found a deep seated alcove in a nondescript alleyway and leaned back against the brick wall. She hummed quietly while counting down the seconds, allowing the sleeve of her cloak to fall back into place and waiting for the timer to inevitably hit zero.

The glyph spun to life beneath her feet, basking the surrounding darkness in a sea blue glow that rippled with each spin. In a flash, Summer felt her aura plummet, ripped back through time to find herself once more in the afternoon sun. Blinking back the sudden headache, she pulled her cloak off and stashed it inside her pouch once more.

Summer withdrew her scroll from her pocket as she stepped out of the alley into the crowded streets of downtown Vale. With so many people around, she'd learned that focusing on it helped to keep her other anxieties at bay. A quick press of a button along the side turned the scroll back on. She'd made the decision to have it off during her missions the first time around, to avoid it potentially being tracked by Beacon.

Now an hour ahead of the robbery, Summer had the rest of the day to herself. ' _Not that there's much left to it._ ' The sun was already past the tops of the buildings, lowering ever closer to the ocean waters off the coast of Vale.

Even so, it was as good a time as any to explore. Seeing the town in all its glory was just as breathtaking as it had been the first time, the towering buildings lining the streets in a myriad of colors and hues, the din of city goers and vehicles as they roared up and down the street, the smells wafting from street vendors and restaurants alike. As anxious as they made her, the people of the city were a sight to behold as well. Summer could count on two hands the amount of people she'd ever met, outside of Sanctuary, at least.

' _To think there was ever this many people in the world…_ ' Summer mused, stopping at a crosswalk along with several others. Her mother had always told her just how many people lived in the past. Summer had scoffed, waving it off as another one of her fanciful exaggerations.

Now that she was here… the mere existence of so many people was daunting. Meeting a single person in the future was a special occasion, one to be celebrated as long as they proved themselves a friend instead of foe. Her mother had always preached cautious optimism when they met someone new. Unfortunately, Summer had always swayed more towards the cautious side of things. You never knew how quickly a shared meal around a campfire would turn into a knife in the back for your supplies, after all.

' _Maybe that's why they make me so anxious, while the White Fang don't?_ ' Summer pondered, keeping a respectable distance between herself and her fellow street crossers. ' _I know where I stand when it comes to the White Fang. They're enemies. There isn't any guess work involved, no chance of betrayal…_ '

She shrugged to herself. If that was part of it, she'd get over it in time, or just learn to make due. Whatever was necessary to carry out her mission, in the end.

Summer allowed her attention to return to the streets around her for a few moments longer before checking her scroll. It had been two days since her first conversation with her mother, a day longer with Yang. She'd managed to continue her chats with each via text, gushing over the shows and movies she'd been watching late into the night and early morning.

Summer had been forced to look up the term cinephile when Yang accused her of being one, along with a host of other terms and slang that she was completely unfamiliar with. Meanwhile, Ruby had been more determined to ask questions about her weapons, the odd pairing of short sword and hand cannon that Summer utilized during class. It was such a 'Ruby Rose' thing to do that Summer had found it hard to contain her laughter at the time. The older Rose had been no more secretive about her appreciation for weapons.

She had to admit as well, 'Cause and Effect' were her very own pride and joy. The shortsword, 'Cause', Summer had created herself based partially on her father's own Crocea Mors. Though hers was shorter and built to match her own aesthetic, it had been an important vestige of the familial bond they shared. 'Effect' had come much later, and it wasn't until after she'd discovered her semblance that she'd renamed them as a matching set.

Unable to confess their true past to her mother, Summer had simply lied, stating that she'd paid an ex-huntsman to teach her how to make them. Summer smiled at that, giving her head a small shake. ' _He would have to be a genius to make something like Effect._ ' The combination of superheating hard light Dust within such a small chamber was a technique born of the future, when normal Dust was no longer as effective against the average Grimm.

In this day and age, it appeared to be overkill.

Summer felt the buzz of her scroll and looked down to see she'd received a message from Yang. It had only just come through now that her scroll was back on, judging by the timestamp. She'd sent it nearly thirty minutes prior.

" _Whatcha up to, Cuz?_ "

Summer bit her lip, quickly typing out a response while keeping her attention partially on the street ahead. She weaved between other pedestrians, " _Taking a stroll through Vale. What about you?_ "

Summer raised her eyes in time to sidestep a gaggle of women, skirting along the side of the building to get around them instead of being trampled. Her scroll buzzed once more, and she paused for a moment, leaning against the relative safety of the wall to check Yang's reply.

" _Wondering if you wanted to come workout! It's just me and Blake in the gym right now, but she's more interested in her book than actually spotting for me. Wanna hang?_ "

Summer hummed nervously, indecision eating away at her. The offer was tempting. Over the last four days, she'd definitely made progress in regards to her family. Summer had managed to share in a longer, tentative smile after her most recent victory in class, and even cheered Yang's name when she'd won as well.

So what if her cheer had been overshadowed by most others in the crowd?

Summer bit her lip harder, her foot tapping repeatedly against the sidewalk beneath her. Slowly, her fingers moved from key to key, typing out her response.

" _Sure. I'll head back up and change, then meet you both there?_ "

Summoning up her courage for one brief instance and pushing out all thoughts of the future, Summer tapped send with one trembling finger. Immediately, her legs gave out and she slid down the side of the wall, crouching with her knees practically against her chest and staring at the screen with nervous anticipation.

The bubble of a response appeared, three dots blinking repeatedly. " _Sweet! See you soon!_ "

Summer sighed, beginning to put her scroll away when another message followed quickly after. It took a moment longer to load, the small circle spinning to show its efforts. Finally, an image popped on screen, one that Yang had likely just taken after sending her response.

The blond stood in a yellow tank top, holding out her scroll to take the picture while raising her other hand in a peace sign. Blake sat behind her on one of the workout benches, leaning against the metal bar with her knees drawn up and a book in her lap. Her eyes were raised to glance over the pages, a slight scowl decorating her features at having her picture taken without consent.

Summer smiled sadly, saving the picture to her scroll. She had always wondered what the pair's relationship had been like, especially early on. With her aunt's boisterous nature, and Blake's penchant for secrets, they'd somehow come together to make an oddly charming couple.

' _Even if they are still just friends for now~_ '

Rising back up to her feet, Summer set off for the bullheads. While her heart beat nervously in her chest, she refused to back down. Meeting Blake had been one of her wishes before returning to the past, and despite her anxieties upon seeing them all, that hadn't changed in the slightest. Yang had always been rather tight lipped about her in the future. Given the circumstances, Summer had never blamed her.

' _Now I have the chance to meet her myself!_ ' Summer quelled her trepidation, focusing on her excitement instead.

A restless anxiety in her rapidly beating heart, she quickened her pace to urge herself onwards… before she could change her mind.

* * *

"I'm surprised she actually agreed to come," Blake stated, giving a huff once Yang stopped taking photos and chose one to send. "She's barely spoken to anyone aside from the teachers and some upperclassmen."

"She's just super shy~" Yang smirked, sitting down on a bench opposite Blake's and grabbing a towel to wipe her hands off before lying down completely. She spun to lay correctly, body positioned beneath the metal bar above her to continue doing her reps after the brief reprieve. "We'll fix that soon enough."

Blake's mouth twisted into a disapproving frown, "You'll only push Eve away if you come on too strong, Yang. Take it slow."

Yang let out a breathless laugh, arms pumping the large weight up and down repeatedly, "Trust me, I've been around Ruby long enough to know her type." Her brows knit together slightly, "Even if she is a bit worse off than Ruby ever was."

Blake shrugged, "If Ruby moved to a completely different continent to find a parent she'd never met and joined a school where she didn't know anyone, you don't think she'd act the same?"

Yang paused with the iron bar across her chest, sparing Blake a quizzical glance, "Hmm, I guess she might. Ruby does have things that break her out of her shell, though. Like her love of weapons, for one."

"Eve seems to know her history fairly well," Blake pondered slowly. "She isn't half bad at fighting either."

"Heh, she hasn't lost since the first," Yang agreed proudly, resuming her workout. "First day jitters and all that. Must have worked it out of her system."

Blake sighed, "Her aura is still low before she even fights, though. At first, I thought Cardin and his team might have been going too far, bullying her outside classes. But… they didn't get all that physical before she fought the other one on her second day. At least not enough to drop her aura as much as it was. They only pushed her down, after all."

Yang froze in the middle of her workout to let the heavy bar slam back into place, eyes narrowing in Blake's direction, "They did _what?_ "

"I thought you knew?" Blake frowned in return. "Cardinal picks on her pretty much incessantly, even after she beat one of their teammates. They just haven't had the courage to challenge her again since she beat one of them so easily."

"I didn't think they were going that _far_ ," Yang fumed, pulling herself back up into a sitting position. "When I get my hands on that bastard-"

"You can't, Yang. You'll only make it worse when you're _not_ around to help," Blake chastised. "I've been keeping an ear out, don't worry. The most they do these days is make rude comments or little things like trying to trip her in the halls. She seems intent on just ignoring them for the time being."

"She shouldn't have to put up with it in the first place," Yang growled out, popping the knuckles on one hand. She sighed a moment later, the fire quelling as she considered Blake's words, "You're probably right, though. They'd take out their frustrations even more whenever I wasn't around." She clenched her knee tightly, "That doesn't make me any less mad about it…"

Blake smiled, "Well, I guess you could take your _own_ frustrations out on them in combat class. At least there you'll have a school approved outlet and can't get in trouble for it yourself."

"It _was_ fun shutting them up that first day~"

"Fun to watch, too~"

Yang gave a pretend salute, flashing a smug grin before lying back down and resuming her workout. It always helped to calm her down, and she didn't want to be stressed out by the time Eve arrived. ' _Just a nice, relaxed time with my new dearest cousin~_ '

She spared Blake a glance, noting that the other girl had gone back to her book. A grin overtook her face even as she continued doing reps, "Thanks for keeping an eye out, though…" Her grin became mischievous. Teasing Blake had proven to be a rather entertaining endeavor, "You wouldn't happen to be interested in a certain someone, would you~?"

"Hmm?" Blake had to pull away from her book once more to contemplate what Yang had asked. After a few moments, her cheeks started to color slightly and she averted her gaze. "Don't be ridiculous. I didn't do it for… well…" Her eyes fell back to the book in her hands, unwavering in their attempts to ignore Yang's growing smirk. "Just… no. It's not like that. I don't like seeing people being mistreated, that's all."

' _Didn't do it for who? Eve? Then who would she…?_ ' It was Yang's turn for her face to grow heated, her arms slowing as she averted her own gaze to the ceiling. ' _Blake did it for me?_ ' She cleared her throat with an embarrassed cough, "T-thanks. You didn't have to."

Blake shrugged, "You're my partner. I wouldn't have done it for just anyone."

"Heh, right. Because we're partners."

"Exactly."

Yang let Blake go back to her book, intent on forgoing conversation any further until Eve arrived.

She couldn't get there soon enough.

* * *

Jaune's stomach rumbled in protest as he followed his team across the tarmac and into the waiting ship that would ferry them back up to Beacon. It had been a fun day out on the town, one that had even managed to exhaust Nora's nearly endless reserves of stamina. The girl was content to hang off Ren currently, the pair of them following along behind Pyrrha and himself as they stepped up the Bullhead's ramp.

A few other students dotted the interior, most that he didn't recognize. One in particular stood out to him, sitting on a bench in the deepest corner from the entrance, hand on her chin as she stared in thought out the window. She was Yang's cousin, if he remembered correctly. A girl with long, silky black hair and eyes so blue they reminded him of his many sisters'. They'd spoken passingly on the first day, with him too intent on avoiding the fact that he'd gotten his team lost to really pay attention to her.

As far as he was aware, Yang and Ruby had warned everyone not to approach her for the time being. He hadn't been at all surprised when they'd said she was shy, her typical demeanor belaying that fact constantly. Even now, she'd chosen the place furthest from everyone else to seclude herself, not turning to acknowledge any of her fellow passengers and instead ignoring them in favor of the view outside her window.

As much as Jaune wanted to introduce himself as he had with Ruby, he was more afraid of Yang's wrath. The blond had proven herself to be rather ferocious when she didn't get her way. Being on the receiving end of that fury was _not_ a place he planned on going willingly, if at all.

Jaune quickly took a seat as the Bullhead began its take-off. The entire structure shook, immediately churning his stomach into a frothing mess that he held on to with all his might. The rest of his team joined him with cautious looks, Nora and Ren going so far as to separate themselves with an additional seat. They'd all seen his reaction when it came to flying on the way down into Vale. By the looks of things, they didn't want to be anywhere near him if there happened to be a repeat of the event.

"Tough it out, Jaune," Nora said warily, sitting on the opposite side of Ren and preemptively holding her nose. "It's just a little ride up to Beacon, what's the problem?"

Jaune attempted to speak but was forced to gulp back the acid building in his throat instead, a hand raising to clutch tightly across his mouth. Pyrrha shuffled on his other side, sending him sympathetic glances but also just as wary as Nora.

"I've heard looking outside can help with motion sickness," Pyrrha offered up tentatively, glancing around the cabin towards the seats that offered a view outside. She let out a quiet, "Oh," when she noticed Eve as well, already taking up one of the few window seats available. The ones across from her were similarly taken up by other students, all chatting casually, unaware of the boy that was nearly ready to erupt. Following her gaze once more to Eve, he couldn't help but wonder if her skin had grown suddenly paler, or if the light was hitting her more directly now that they were airborne.

The ship lurched, pulling his mind cleanly away from all thoughts that didn't involve wrestling his stomach back into submission. Each rumble forced him to gulp anew, the disgusting acid burning the back of his throat. His chest tightened, fighting the urge with all his might.

The next lurch proved his efforts futile. Jaune darted from his seat as the ship shook once more, beelining for the only trash cans onboard. His footsteps were echoed by someone out of his periphery, both rushing towards the same location. Jaune reached them first and gripped the edges of one tightly, finally letting loose the unstoppable pressure that had been building. He heard someone else doing the same, the more feminine sound drawing his sympathies as a fellow sufferer.

Face pale and stomach appeased after a few torturous moments, Jaune shakily wiped his face clean and glanced to his side, recoiling slightly when he caught the brilliant blue eyes reflecting his own pain. Eve was similarly pale, her hair held up with one hand and arm covering her mouth in embarrassment, perhaps also as a means of stifling any further mishaps. Jaune flashed her an understanding smile, fingers returning to a white knuckle grip on the trash can's lip when the Bullhead shook once more.

Thankfully, it appeared the most recent turbulence was due to them landing. Jaune closed his eyes and let out a shuddering sigh of relief, feeling the effects of his motion sickness beginning to dissipate. He opened his eyes while double checking to make sure his mouth was clean, intent on offering up some words of encouragement to the girl next to him.

Jaune frowned the next moment, the space suddenly vacated by Eve. His eyes darted across the cabin, finding her in time to see her rushing through the other students and down the ramp on to Beacon grounds. His thoughts of following after were interrupted by Pyrrha joining him.

"Are you alright now, Jaune?" Pyrrha rubbed a hand along his back from an arm's length away, staunchly avoiding drawing any nearer the trash cans than she absolutely had to.

"Yeah," Jaune replied, ignoring the tremors that still remained in his stomach to instead put on a brave face and flash his teammate a thumbs up. "So much better."

As they left the ship to head back to their dorm, Jaune couldn't help but feel a little disappointed he'd missed another chance to actually introduce himself.

* * *

' _Oh my Gods!_ ' Summer thought, cheeks crimson while her hands blocked most of the world from view. She rushed off ahead of the rest of the passengers, intent on putting as much distance between herself and her shame as possible. ' _Of course they had to ride the same Bullhead up! Why wouldn't they!?_ ' She cursed the heavens, suspicious that the Brothers themselves had a hand in her embarrassment.

' _Obviously we would have ended up riding a Bullhead together at some point._ ' Still, why had it been _before_ she could overcome her motion sickness? Summer had looked up all the tips she could find, even considered ordering medication online with what was left of the lien Qrow had given her. Sitting and staring out the window had helped for a time, but overhearing her father's teammates talking about his sickness had not. Seeing him rush for relief had been the final straw, pushing her over the edge as well.

Before she knew it, Summer had climbed the stairs and was back at her personal dorm. She threw the door open and shut it just as quickly before lying face down on her bed. She buried her face in the pillow, wanting to shut out the world and cease existing altogether if it would end her embarrassment. Her legs kicked up and down in pure frustration, drumming against the end of her bed incessantly.

Thoughts of the event made her cheeks flame anew and her gut wrench, bringing on another bout of swearing directed towards the Brother gods. Her father had looked at her with a compassionate smile, truly meeting her eyes for the first time over their shared suffering.

It was enough to make her want to die outright.

' _I can't take it! I'll just undo it!_ ' Summer sprung from the bed to stand in the center of the floor, glyph already spinning into being beneath her feet. It rose in brightness and speed, nearly reaching its apex before she managed to calm herself down and think straight. Summer huffed in annoyance and allowed her semblance to fade, plopping back down on her bed with a heavy sigh.

If she went back now, Summer could overwrite everything she'd already done as 'Future Summer', choosing a different Bullhead to ride back up to Beacon. It would be a waste of effort and aura, but she _could_ do it. Going back now would mean traveling to the same _time_ she'd arrived earlier though, otherwise her previous self that was already walking the streets of Vale would end up suddenly vanishing in direct sight of other people.

' _There can only ever be two of me, after all._ ' The original always remained, while the version of herself that had traveled back could be rewritten. It was the only way to update her instructions to the original, improving upon them if the previous instructions failed to give the desired results.

Summer also couldn't _teleport_ to her destination, and would instead appear thirty minutes into the past where she currently stood, in her dorm. Summer would have to go back down into Vale before traveling back in time to avoid any chance at suspicion. Otherwise, it would appear as if she'd returned to the school grounds by some other means, completely avoiding every camera along the way.

' _Which means two more Bullhead rides… One down, and one back up… and that's_ not _happening..._ '

Summer scrubbed a hand across her temple, feeling a familiar headache on the horizon. Thinking too in depth about her own semblance had a tendency to do that at times. Luckily, she'd already experienced the many pitfalls in her earlier years in order to avoid them now. Conversations that had come up in previous, erased iterations were one of many that had tripped her up the most often. Her mother had taken to pointing out whenever Summer did it on accident, forcing her to remain overly aware of all the things she said and did around others.

The heat from Summer's cheeks finally faded, composure regained once given time to cope. It was still embarrassing, and if the event ever came up in casual conversation, she might actually go back to undo it. For now though, Summer had a certain fiery aunt and reclusive cat faunus to meet, both waiting for her to join them in Beacon's gym.

Summer climbed off her bed and walked over to her dresser, picking out a change of clothes that was more fitting for the occasion than what she'd worn into Vale. In only a few minutes, she was instead dressed in a blue tank top and black shorts, the former a little _too_ short for her liking now that she was actually planning on going out in it. Summer had only bought it out of necessity during her outing with Qrow, one among many that had seemed relevant for a life in Beacon.

She looked at herself in the mirror and blushed profusely, staring at her lithe body and toned legs currently on display. ' _That's not happening!_ '

In a rush, Summer changed into a pair of baggy black sweatpants instead. She breathed a sigh of relief upon looking at herself in the mirror again, now only her arms and a small strip of her stomach on display due to the tank top she wore. It was far less revealing than her combat outfit, so she didn't mind nearly as much.

Scroll in hand, Summer walked over to her door and grasped the handle, pausing as indecision ate away at her. Her eyes fell to the scroll in her hands, previous promise urging her onward while anxiety fought for control. With a determined huff, Summer pushed past the overwhelming urge to cancel her plans and instead stepped out into the hall, feet moving in the direction of the gym before she could second guess herself once again.

' _You told Yang you would go, so you're going,_ ' Summer thought fiercely, combatting the doubts that vied for dominance. Scenes of her mangled body attempted to flicker through her mind, but she shut them out with a shake of her head. ' _That_ won't _happen. Not now, not ever. I'll fix everything, save everyone. Pyrrha, Penny, Nora, Ren, Weiss, Blake, Yang, Jaune… Mom… They're all alive and okay, and I'm going to do everything in my power to keep them that way._ '

It was going to be enough. _She_ had to be enough. Summer refused to accept any results other than _complete_ success. She had been blessed with a semblance capable of making her dream a reality, had already survived traveling so far back. ' _Half my wish is already realized._ '

Summer was simply failing to make the most of it.

With renewed determination, she traversed the halls, winding her way through and back downstairs until she was standing in front of the gym door. Summer could see Yang and Blake inside, the former actually working out while the latter sat nearby reading her book. Letting out a slow breath to release some of her pent up tension, Summer didn't wait any longer.

Two pairs of eyes rose at the sound of Summer opening the door. Yang set down the weights she'd been holding while Blake partially closed her book. They flashed her two wildly different smiles, Yang trying to quell her joy in order to avoid scaring Summer off, and Blake trying to appear welcoming. Summer smiled shyly in return, stepping inside to close the door behind herself and shuffle forward.

"Hey…" It was all Summer could manage at first despite her determination. Her anxiety had reared its ugly head the instant Yang's lilac eyes were leveled in her direction.

"Hey! Glad you could make it!" Yang replied in delight, moving forward slightly but allowing Summer to cross the remaining distance at her own speed.

' _Wait... What the hell am I supposed to say!?_ ' Summer's plans had involved getting there, but now that she was, how was she supposed to greet her aunt that was now the same age? Was it different from how she _should_ act, considering they were supposed to be cousins? Summer stood rooted in fear, utterly petrified by indecision.

It seemed Yang had caught on to her panic and decided to answer the question for her. The blond raised her fist, holding it aloft in the silent offer for her 'cousin' to bump it in return. She grinned fiercely but made no moves to approach, waiting instead for Summer to accept the gesture.

Summer sighed in relief, releasing her pent up fear and moving the last few feet to bump Yang's fist in return. The action felt more natural than any words would have, a gesture of camaraderie that she had shared with her aunt many times growing up. The simple interaction tipped the scales in her favor, allowing her to relax. Even if it was a younger model, this was still undeniably _Yang_.

"Looks like you've been busy," Summer broke the tension, taking note of the sweat that had built up on the blond's brow. A quick glance around the room itself showed that many of the various benches and machines had been put to use, weights scattered about as Yang hadn't bothered to put them away yet.

Yang laughed, bringing a hand up to ruffle it through her hair, "You could say that. I tend to get a little overzealous at times when it comes to this sort of thing." She turned partially to the side, gesturing towards the faunus on a nearby bench. "This is my partner, Blake. She's almost as quiet as you are sometimes. Say 'hi', Blake!" Yang commanded her partner's participation as if instructing an unruly child, drawing a look of ire from the faunus.

"Hi." Blake deadpanned. After a few moments, the act she had put up to spite Yang devolved into a soft smile, "It's nice to meet you, Eve."

"You as well, Blake," Summer replied sincerely. "I hope my cousin isn't giving you too much trouble."

Blake glared at Yang, "Oh, she has her moments."

Yang narrowed her eyes playfully at Blake before turning back to Summer, "So, what do you want to start with first?" She looked her up and down, seeming to take note of the fact that her 'cousin' was almost equally as well built as she. "You don't look like much of a slacker yourself."

Summer shrugged, "I've done my fair share of training."

' _In this very room, in fact._ ' She'd just done it a couple decades into the future, when the walls were crumbling and the padding of the benches was dry and cracked. The weights had remained unchanged though, even if they were a little less rusted now. Metal had a tendency to last the test of time like that.

"You're from Mistral, right?" Yang asked while Summer lay down on one of the benches, raising her arms to test the weights that Yang had left attached. She grunted in appreciation, surprised that even now, her aunt was capable of outdoing her.

Not one to be swayed by a little challenge however, Summer tightened her grip and began doing a set, breathing in the perfect rhythm that Yang had taught her. "Yeah, I'm from Mistral. Not anywhere in particular, though. I kind of spent my time traveling around a lot and learning to fight Grimm along the way."

"Cool! So you've seen a lot then?" Yang moved to stand nearby Summer's head, ready in case she needed assistance with the heavy bar being raised and lowered in her hands repeatedly. Yang nodded her appreciation after a few moments though, realizing that Summer was using proper form and technique.

Summer's mind flickered to her time actually spent in Mistral. Running and fighting hellish Grimm among the demolished husks of ruined towns. Escaping through forests that had long since withered, the perpetual clouds above denying any and all sunlight to shine through. Praying for water among the dry riverbeds they stumbled upon, finding only the tiniest trickles at the best of times, remaining parched for days at a time in the worst.

"You could say that," Summer agreed. "It wasn't as fun as it sounds, I can tell you that much."

Yang snorted, "Aw, c'mon! Meeting new people, fighting Grimm… There had to be _some_ good things about it!"

Meeting Hazel. Growing attached to the surprisingly soft-hearted and fatherly man before inevitably betraying him to fulfill her mission…

"Some…" she replied softly.

Yang seemed to sense that she was treading into uncertain waters and immediately backpedaled, "I've lived on Patch my whole life up til now. That's the island off the coast. Have you been there yet?"

Summer nodded, "Had to so that I could find Qrow. I met your dad, too… He was really nice."

Yang grinned, "Oh, yeah. Dad's the best. A little overbearing at times but what can you expect when you live with a teacher? I couldn't even hide my report cards from him!"

Summer laughed, ignoring the pain that gripped her chest. At the very least, Yang _had_ a father. It was more than Summer could ever say for herself. Jaune had died before they'd ever had a chance to truly meet, leaving her with only a mother and aunt to raise her. Ruby and Yang hadn't done a bad job by any means, but still… the ache remained.

Yang scratched her chin in apparent thought, then glanced back down at Summer, "If you're feeling up for it, we could have a get together on the weekend? You, me, Ruby, Dad, and Uncle Qrow? It… It could be fun. Dad is an _excellent_ cook."

"I'll..." Summer began slowly. Yang and Blake were a great first step, but being with so many in the same room, all at once? After taking a moment to think on Yang's proposition, the ache in her chest returned tenfold, her heart yearning for the family she barely knew and outweighing the anxiety she felt. "...I'll take you up on that offer. It… It _does_ sound fun."

"Awesome!" Yang beamed. She pulled out her scroll and immediately began texting, likely setting up their plans with those involved to make sure they'd be available. Summer exhaled heavily, lifting the bar one final time to set it on the rack above. She sat up and rubbed her arms, massaging out some of the fatigue from the set. Yang had been training with more weight than Summer was used to, but she'd persevered through the entire first set without complaint.

Summer glanced across to Blake, seeing the faunus busy with her book, but seeming to have an extra pair of ears on their conversation. She noticed the lull in the conversation and took her eyes off the book in her hands to meet Summer's gaze, offering up the same smile she had previously.

"Where are you from, Blake?" Summer asked the question, waiting for the lie she already knew would come. As a general rule, it was good to get these sorts of things out of the way. The more she was told, the less likely people were to notice if she brought up something she shouldn't know.

"Vale," Blake answered simply, immediately intent on shifting focus. Her face broke into a troubled frowned before asking her question, eyebrows knitting together. "You told Goodwitch that your aura is always low because of your semblance. If you don't mind, may I ask what it is?"

"You can ask~" Summer replied mysteriously, grinning when Blake's face fell into a slight pout. She shrugged nonchalantly, aware that they'd likely be surprised by her half-truth, "I can see into the future."

Blake's eyes widened, and the sound of a scroll could be heard violently clicking shut behind Summer. She turned to see Yang staring as well, eyes equally wide at the bomb that Summer had dropped so casually.

"No. _Way._ " Yang spoke in wonder, moving to scoot Summer to the side and sit next to her on the bench. She squeaked in protest, but was easily overpowered by the blond's maneuver. "So could you like, tell me who I'm going to end up with and stuff!?"

Summer recovered with a laugh, knowing the answer despite her semblance not working anywhere near that far into the future. "I'm sure it's someone very close to you~" she joked before waving her hands in a gesture of denial, "I can only see the next few seconds, not however long something like _that_ might take."

Yang glowered, crossing her arms, "You saying I'm not a catch?"

"Just that the next few seconds doesn't hold the answer you seek."

Summer activated her semblance in order to give the typical demonstration but paused, hearing the question that Blake was about to ask before she'd had time to ask it. She smirked, deciding to show off by speaking in tandem with the faunus.

"So, do you know what I'm going to say before I say it?" The faunus's voice fell halfway through, Summer matching her question word for word before finishing it off for her.

"And everything you _might_ say within the next few seconds," Summer confirmed, then grew concerned when Blake recoiled in barely suppressed fear. Understanding quickly enough, she raised her hands to wave them back and forth in denial once more, dropping her semblance as she did, "Only stuff you would _actually_ say. I'm not a mind reader, I promise."

"Even so, that's pretty amazing," Yang praised, picking up where Blake had left off. "That must work wonders during _fights_."

Summer nodded, "I know what my opponent is going to do before _they_ even do a lot of the time. It's really effective."

Blake frowned, recovering from her earlier panic long enough to think about her initial question, "Why are you using it so much outside of fights, though? Your aura is always low before spars."

"Ah," Summer brought a hand up to rub the back of her head, already having a lie to fall back on. In part, she had her own anxiety to thank for the excuse. "I use it during the day for… various reasons."

The two other girls frowned for a few moments in thought. Summer was content to let them fill in the blank however they wished, right up until Yang's face darkened into an angry glower and Blake's followed suit. "Those reasons wouldn't involve a certain someone from our class, would they?" the blond asked harshly.

Summer's eyebrows knit together. ' _Someone in particular? Who are they…?_ ' The answer hit her, and she took a moment to take the excuse into consideration. ' _She must mean Cardin and his goons. Blake at least knows they've been doing their best to bully me. I've seen her nearby often enough when they pull their little stunts. She must have told Yang, and now Yang thinks I'm using my semblance during the day to… do what? Avoid them as best I can?_ '

It wasn't a bad excuse, though once she managed to get the bully to leave her alone, it would appear as if she was still being picked on when no one was around to notice. ' _Better to avoid Cardin being unjustly persecuted, even if he_ is _trying to bully me currently._ '

Summer shook her head, "I can guess what you're thinking and that's just not the case. Cardin and his teammates aren't worth the aura. I more so use it to, well…" She scratched her chin in embarrassment, realizing the lie she'd chosen in its place was just as bad for an entirely different reason, "...avoid everyone."

"Oh. So…?" Yang gestured to herself, looking a little forlorn.

"No, no, no! Not anyone in particular!" Summer denied fiercely, "When I say everyone, I _mean_ everyone. I… It's not really a secret that I'm…" she gestured wildly to herself. "Not good at the whole 'people' thing. I just use it to… avoid hallways that are more packed, or bumping into others, or getting caught up in conversations… stuff like that."

Yang sighed in relief, placing a hand to her chest. That turned into a pitying smile for her cousin soon enough, "Blake was right. You've got it bad." She shuffled slightly, uncertain of what she was going to suggest next, "You wouldn't have to use it so much if you stuck with me and my team. We could, I don't know, ferry you through the crowds?"

Summer laughed, "Thanks for the offer, but that would be just as awkward, honestly."

Yang shrugged, "It might be for a while, but I think it would help in the long run. You wouldn't be low on aura by the time combat class rolled around, for one."

"I'll think about it," Summer promised, sparing the blond a smile while pointing between them, "This is enough for now. I'm… really glad I came."

"You're welcome to hang out whenever you want! And if you're ever feeling up for it, our room is on the top floor, hall B."

Summer chuckled, "I know. Oz set me up in the room next to yours."

"What!?" Yang reeled back. "We've been next door neighbors this whole time and you didn't even bring over a gift basket?"

Summer frowned, "Why would I bring a gift basket?"

"It's how you welcome your new neighbors! Everyone knows that!" Yang shook her head, not noticing as Summer shrunk in on herself for giving away her own ignorance. "I didn't think anyone was using that room!"

"I knew that was her dorm," Blake commented simply, turning the page on her book. Summer and Yang both sent her a questioning glance, causing Blake to raise her eyes long enough to notice and respond. "Yang told me what you two talk about. All the movies and whatnot... you, um... leave your TV on a little too loud?" She grew uncertain near the end, likely wondering if it was only due to her second set of ears that she could actually hear what was happening on the other side of the wall their dorms shared.

Summer's eyes widened, admonishing herself profusely, "I'm sorry! I hope I haven't been keeping you awake!"

Blake's eyes fell back to her book, staring at the page without actually reading, "It's fine… If you could just remember to keep it down a little, I'd appreciate it…"

"Absolutely!" Summer accepted immediately. She'd been too caught up in the shows and movies she was watching to really take the noise level into account. Of _course_ the girl with four ears would be more susceptible to overhearing all of it. Summer cringed, recalling some of the movies she'd binged the night before after discovering the 'Chick Flick' tab. She'd been turned into a sobbing mess on more than one occasion, blowing her nose into the tissue box kept on hand.

Cheeks coloring a light red, Summer was just as eager to move on from the conversation as Blake was, if for different reasons. "So…!" she stated loudly, mind scurrying to think of something to actually follow it up with, "A-Any places in Vale I have to see? I've been exploring the streets after classes to get myself acquainted, since I'll be here a while and all…"

"Ooh! There's tons of stuff to do!" Yang chipped in. "Going to the theater, bowling, shopping, amusement parks, water parks, watching street performers, bars, swimming, concerts," she gestured with open hands, " _Loads_ of stuff."

' _What's an 'amusement' park? Or a concert?_ ' Summer played off her ignorance by nodding acknowledgement for all the things that Yang had listed off. "We should go to some of those."

Yang's eyes brightened to a previously unmatched level and Summer felt the need to immediately throw her hands up, "W-When I'm ready! That sounds like way too much right now!"

Yang deflated for only a moment before resuming her grin. She scooted closer to wrap an arm around Summer and pull her in tight, unwavering in the face of her attempts to escape, "Don't you worry, Cuz. I can show you the world~"

Summer gave up on her efforts with a huff. She couldn't meet Yang's beaming smile, so instead stared off towards a rather nice looking wall. "I'm counting on it."

"That's the spirit!" She shook Summer from side to side and then stood, grabbing Blake's attention. "This'll have to do for now, though. It's getting pretty late and neither of us have done our homework yet."

Blake frowned and checked the time on her scroll, then let out an indignant huff, "It's almost eight. You'd better hope Weiss is feeling generous and lets us copy some of her work."

"You leave the Ice Queen up to me~" Yang teased, grabbing her yellow towel from a nearby bench to drape it across her shoulders.

Summer stood as well, glancing about the room, "Well, we ended up talking more than we did actually working out…"

Yang shrugged, "That was just an excuse to get you here. It worked, didn't it?" She winked, "Don't forget, my place this weekend. I'll work out the specifics with Dad and get back to you. Sound good?"

"Looking forward to it," Summer replied truthfully.

Yang raised her hand to bump fists as they had when she first arrived, Summer accepting readily enough. Yang pulled away with a smirk quickly after, shaking her hand off and pretending as if it had hurt. "Catch ya on the flipside~"

"See you later," Summer caught Blake's eye as she passed. "Thanks for sticking around, and for… keeping an eye on me."

Blake shrugged, "It's not that big of a deal. You're handling yourself well enough."

" _Still_ … thank you."

Blake smiled, eyes falling to the wayside as she received Summer's genuine gratitude. She had to imagine it felt nice, considering the life Blake had left behind, and the life she wanted to now lead.

"You're welcome," Blake's response was quiet, but just as genuine. She nodded once before turning to follow Yang, the two finally making their leave with a parting wave from the blond.

Summer stood in place and sighed happily, feeling the constant anxiety she'd felt beginning to fade away now that she was once again alone. It was replaced by overwhelming glee, and pride she felt for herself. She'd overcome an obstacle, pushed aside her fears and embraced what caused them instead. She'd finally met Yang, the younger version that was currently her own age, free from the pains of death and despair that had gripped her soul in the future.

It had been better than Summer had ever imagined.

She couldn't help but cheer in delight. Her pent up frustrations were unleashed, cutting away at the chains that bound her. The next hurdle would definitely be speaking with her mother, and despite her most recent victory, Summer was content to wait until the weekend.

But when it came… She'd face her fears head on once more.

With a contented sigh and a smile that refused to leave her face, Summer pulled the scroll from her pocket. Considering the time, her past self would have already stopped the White Fang and traveled back, meaning her alibi would remain solid for a trip down into Vale.

Summer's fingers danced across the screen, typing out a search query and hoping that the objects she sought wouldn't be too difficult to find.

" _Where can I buy gift baskets?_ "

Yang had sounded so sure after all. It's just what good neighbors did.


End file.
